Transportföretagen, Sweden’s road transport association, has said that the country’s road network is “cracking” and wants the government to invest more in maintenance.
According to Tina Thorsell, head of social policy at Transportföretagen, almost 2 billion euros is required to bring the road network up to scratch, a figure that will double by 2030 if action is not taken now.
Thorsell also expressed concern about a growing gap in quality between intercity and country roads:
As long as the resources for road maintenance are less than necessary, the Swedish Transport Administration will be forced to prioritize roads with a lot of traffic and the large continuous lanes. The gap between city and country will grow. We’ll get an increasingly polarized road network.
Transportföretagen’s Bengt Olsson says the extra investment is necessary due to the extra wear and tear Sweden’s road network has suffered in recent years. Changes in climate have also exacerbated the situation.
The Swedish road transport association’s call follows the release of its recent study, which found that almost 13% of the country’s roads are in poor condition.
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