Estonia probably will not be able to fulfil its commitment to the European Union to properly build the Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). - Pärnu City in the SW of Estonia (pop.40,000). -Ikla and Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). - Tartu City in the west of Estonia (pop. 91,000). - Võru Town in the SE of Estonia(pop.13,000). -Luhamaa roads by 2030, the National Audit Office finds in its report published today.
Three years ago, in 2019, Teede Tehnokeskus estimated that 193 million euros annually is the optimum that is needed to ensure at least a satisfactory level of all high-traffic roads and to improve the overall condition of the road network, but the budget strategy and the financial plan for the road maintenance plan 2022–2025 show that the funding for the construction and repairs of public roads is facing sharp cutbacks instead. For example, in 2022, the planned budget for road maintenance is 141.8 million euros, but it will decrease to 80.9 million (including VAT) by 2025.
The National Audit Office outlines that, due to the decreasing funding, it is not possible to simultaneously fulfil the commitment to the European Union to build the Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). - Pärnu City in the SW of Estonia (pop.40,000). -Ikla and Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). - Tartu City in the west of Estonia (pop. 91,000). - Võru Town in the SE of Estonia(pop.13,000). -Luhamaa roads according to the requirements by 2030, achieve the traffic safety objectives and cover gravel roads with a dust-free pavement.
Currently, 30% of the Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). - Tartu City in the west of Estonia (pop. 91,000). - Võru Town in the SE of Estonia(pop.13,000). -Luhamaa road and 21% of the Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). - Pärnu City in the SW of Estonia (pop.40,000). -Ikla road meet the requirements of the Trans-European Transport Network TEN-T. In order to meet the requirements, roads must have separate roadways for each direction, which are separated from each other by a barrier, and crossings with railways, pedestrian and bicycle roads and tramways must be at different levels.
So far, the construction of TEN-T roads has been funded from European Union funds, but the amounts allocated to Estonia for road construction are not sufficient to perform the duties undertaken. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications is aware that from the implementation plan of the Cohesion Policy funds of the European Union budget period 2021–2027 and the draft partnership agreement 159 million euros will be allocated to public roads in the financial period 2021–2027. Knowing that the requirements established for TEN-T roads will become stricter, an average of up to 214.3 million euros annually should be allocated until 2050 to achieve the objectives of the Transport Network TEN-T and to develop TEN-T roads.
The National Audit Office states that the intended reduced financing for road construction may worsen the chances of meeting Estonia's road safety goals. Even though the Government of the Republic has set a goal in the Road Safety Programme by 2025 that the three-year average number of people losing their lives in traffic should drop down to forty, there are no funds available to make the investments necessary to achieve this goal. According to the financial plan for the road maintenance plan, no more funds have been allocated from 2024 onwards for the reconstruction of dangerous intersections. So far, the Road Safety Programme has not achieved its interim results in any year, and the number of fatalities has been decreasing more than twice as slowly as desired.