2020

The Average Length of Newly Built Forest Roads is Decreasing

The fact that it is not always easier to build a shorter road is confirmed by a facility in Latgale region. In order to implement the planned construction of the 20-metre-long Lapsukalns quarry road, JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) had to cooperate with two companies for performing these works.

The average length of forest roads built by LVM reaches 1.5 kilometres in 2020. It has decreased more than twice since 2006.

“The length of forest roads has decreased because the main forest roads have already been built and currently forest infrastructure works focus on the construction of access roads, which are usually shorter. This means that in order to build the same length of forest roads kilometre-wise, it is necessary to have twice as many construction facilities,” says Indris Stulpāns, Executive Director of LVM Forest Infrastructure.

The construction of a forest road takes about three years from the development of the plan to the implementation. The development of the project may take a year, additional time must be provided for arranging building permits, receiving technical regulations from the State Environmental Service, closing of easements, environmental inspection and other works. Actual construction on the site takes a year, unpredictable challenges still need to be overcome, such as unfavourable climatic conditions, various statutory time limits that may extend the project implementation time.