LVC warns: regional roads will soon be worse than Karosta's basements
While the government counts billions for the TEN-T network, Kurzeme's gravel roads threaten to become historical monuments. Even the Tsar's fleet engineers wouldn't have allowed such degradation.
Latvian State Roads announced shocking news this week — due to insufficient funding, regional highways may soon become worse than Karosta's mythical basements, where at least in the Tsar's time, masons knew how to build for eternity. While the government proudly plans to spend nearly two billion euros on the TEN-T network, 6,000 kilometers of regional roads will remain without capital investment, meaning driving in Kurzeme could become an extreme sport.
Particularly piquant is that Transport Ministry officials with straight faces talk about 715 kilometers of priority sections, while 2,500 kilometers of roads aren't even mentioned in strategies. As one Liepāja driver said: "We already have to drive on gravel roads at tractor speed, but now it looks like we'll soon be able to leave the tractor at home too."
Most concerning is the fact that approximately five percent of state highways are in very poor condition. For comparison — even Karosta's basement floors, which haven't been repaired since Tsarist times, are in better condition than some of our regional roads. At least there you can walk without worrying about shock absorbers.
Meanwhile, CSDD proudly announces that 2024 had only 112 fatalities in traffic accidents — the lowest number in history. Of course, if you can't drive faster than 30 kilometers per hour due to potholes, accidents decrease too. As they say in Liepāja: "No speed — no problems, but also no journey."
Now the government must look for money from other EU funds to save the situation. While Riga dreams of the Bauska bypass, Kurzeme residents can only hope that at least the gravel won't run out.
⚠️ Satirical article. Facts are preserved, but the presentation is humorous. For accurate information, please refer to the original source.