News

Improvement of Concrete Slab Roads with Gravel

JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) currently manages around 12 000 kilometres of forest roads with various types of surface that require certain maintenance and renovation works. Natural gravel (63.1 %) and crushed gravel (31.5 %) roads are most common in the forest, roads with dolomite chipped asphalt concrete and concrete slabs are less common.

Concrete slab roads are a historical legacy. For example, the forest highway “Muita – Skaras” in Augstkalne Parish of Dobele Municipality is located in the territory of a former USSR army base.

Over time, concrete slabs wear out and develop cracks and chips. Such a situation poses a possible risk of vehicle wheel damage. If there are a lot of cracks and chips on the concrete slab, then one of the solutions to improve the road is to apply a gravel cover.

“This year, in some sections of the road, forest roads were resurfaced with crushed gravel. After some time, the durability of the gravel cover will be tested. We will plan such forest road surface restoration works in the future as well,” Māris Balcers, Zemgale Region Senior Forest Infrastructure Specialist, talks about the situation.

LVM annually makes significant investments in the development of forest infrastructure. Forest roads ensure not only the movement of residents and forestry processes, but also make a significant contribution to the implementation of forest fire protection measures. The list of daily forest road maintenance works, depending on the season and the need, includes such works as roadbed maintenance works, repair works, culvert works, cutting of shoots, winter maintenance works and others.