Roadworks are currently taking place on 61 roads, but the biggest traffic restrictions are on the Valmiera highway. It takes approximately one hour during rush hours or 30 minutes at other times to pass the road from the Gauja Bridge to Lielstraupe.
“I think this section of the road is quite absurdly done, because before that, the road was in good condition. It was a good road,” Valmiera resident Jānis said. “I come here two, three times a month. This time I stood for about 20 minutes because there were repairs, but I hope there will be better roads and no repairs afterward.”
State JSC Latvian State Roads” spokeswoman Anna Kononova said that the road is being repaired as a routine procedure.
"This is a work that needs to be done on a regular basis since the road has once been rebuilt through the funds of the European Union. We must therefore maintain this road in such a way as to serve for the maximum length of time. It means that it has to get new coverage every now and then,” Kononova said.
Drivers acknowledge that repairs to Latvia's roads are badly needed.
“How can it be that they make the roads and after a couple of years they're in holes with patches,” said Andrejs. “It doesn't work, probably the cheapest procurements don't work.”
“I think it is [censored] compared to the roads of Lithuania, Poland,” Jānis said. “I don't think we've got better [roads] in recent years. In my opinion, roads are not made for the long term, but for a couple of years. Then the holes appear.”
“I drive quite a lot, drive to Latgale, Ķegums, and Jēkabpils. The roads have been at a rather high qualtity for the past three years,” Ivars said. “There are separate stages like Bīriņi, Limbaži, which cannot even be mentioned. On the whole, we see what we're paying taxes for."
Of the planned 570 kilometers this year, road repairs have been completed at 250 kilometers.
“Most of the repairs are planned on regional and local roads,” Kononova said.
Road users have to take into account that traffic restrictions are possible at several sections until autumn.
