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Use of Forest Roads to Facilitate Traffic

During the spring period, JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) carried out forest road monitoring and performed the necessary maintenance works, therefore the forest road infrastructure is now well organized and fully accessible to all people and service providers. In response to a question posed by those who enjoy taking walks in forests regarding the brightly coloured signs, which are to be seen on forest roads in some places, LVM experts explain their purpose: they mainly serve for mutual communication between drivers of timber transporters, but at the same time they also provide information to other drivers.

“To avoid difficulties related to turning around or changing on a road in places where economic activity is taking place, drivers of timber transporters use brightly coloured signs to inform other timber transporters and forest machines of their presence. Round-shaped road signs in green colour mean that there are no timber transporters working on this road or the activity of timber transporters does not interfere with the movement of other vehicles. In turn, the red colour means that a timber transporter is working on this road and it is not possible to change with other vehicles. In such a case, you should wait in front of this sign until the timber transporter has finished work and left this road. By understanding the meaning of these signs, even in nature, pedestrians should expect that, continuing on their way, they may meet a timber carrier or another large forest vehicle, and movement along the forest road may be difficult,” says Jānis Bunķis, Head of LVM Forest Infrastructure Planning.

It should be taken into account that the organization of the carriage of timber products from the stacks on various forest roads and roadways is carried out not only by LVM, but also by other forest owners, timber buyers, and the mutual communication and coordination of these timber carriers may be different from that carried out by timber transporters, which perform carriage on behalf of LVM. Therefore, you should also pay attention to other unusual signs, for example, sometimes an ordinary or brightly painted tree branch can be placed in the middle of the road, which warns that a timber transporter is working on this road and it is not possible to change with this timber transporter on the road.

When moving along the LVM forest roads, in many places there are stacks of timber, which are to be loaded into timber transporters and it may not be possible to cross the specific place at that moment. In such cases, drivers should be understanding and patient and look for a bypass or wait until the loading of timber is finished.

LVM reminds that when going to the forest, it is allowed to park your car at exits and interchanges, but it is forbidden to leave cars on LVM forest roads, because it is difficult or even completely impossible for timber transporters to pass.

Every year, LVM not only performs various types of forest road maintenance works according to the specific season, but also builds new forest roads. In 2022, 339 km of forest roads were put into operation, and forest road construction projects with a total length of 288 km were approved.