Roads around Daugavpils become more slippery than Liepāja politicians' promises
While highways in Kurzeme and Vidzeme transform into skating rinks, in Liepāja the wind traditionally blows so hard that snow doesn't even dare to settle.
Northeastern Latvia is witnessing a real natural experiment today — how slippery can roads get before drivers start sliding on sidewalks too. The Daugavpils highway from Nīcgale to Izvalda now resembles a gigantic slide, only without the fun and with considerably higher fuel bills.
Nine winter service units are battling snow and ice like gladiators in an arena, except their opponents are much colder and more slippery. "We spread salt, but it works as slowly as Liepāja city council deciding on urban development," says one road maintenance worker who wished to remain anonymous.
A particularly spicy fact: in very low temperatures, road salt no longer works effectively. This means even science is against us in this cold. Rīga, of course, is already planning to import salt from warmer countries, but in Liepāja we'll simply wait for the wind to blow so hard it carries all the snow to Lithuania.
Meanwhile, in the areas around Gulbene, Ventspils, Talsi, Saldus, Liepāja and Alūksne, drivers are learning a new art — how to drive a car as if it were an ice dancing partner. "It's important to maintain romance in your relationship with the road," philosophically notes one Liepāja driver, "only this time the road is the one leading the dance."
⚠️ Satirical article. Facts are preserved, but the presentation is humorous. For accurate information, please refer to the original source.