In the coming weeks, Latvia is expected to experience thaw, rain, and wet snow, and under such weather conditions, the surface of gravel roads will become slippery, warns the State Joint Stock Company "Latvijas valsts ceļi" (LVC).
Gravel roads are covered with a layer of compacted snow in winter, which this year is quite thick due to heavy precipitation and frost. As the snow melts, ice will form on the gravel roads, which will be covered with a layer of water from the melting snow. To prevent the compacted snow from being slippery, grooves are cut into it or sand is spread on top; however, during a thaw, these measures are ineffective as the grooves melt and the sand is washed away by water.
As LVC notes, drivers should take into account that the driving conditions on gravel roads may be particularly difficult in the coming days and weeks, so it is necessary to plan for additional travel time.
There are 10,000 kilometers of gravel roads in the state road network.
Meanwhile, on roads with worn asphalt surfaces, potholes can form intensively during a thaw. When suitable weather conditions arise, with dry road surfaces and rising air temperatures, road enterprises will carry out mass pothole repairs.
LVC notes that almost all major state roads are in good condition. The highest risk of pothole formation during the thaw exists on regional and local roads, a significant portion of which are in poor technical condition.
