Estonia budgets less for road building and maintenance

Estonia plans to spend 274 million euros on road construction and maintenance next year, less than this year and below the amount set out in its long-term road maintenance plan, ERR reported. Major construction projects are not expected to be cancelled.

The amount in the draft state budget is about 14 million euros below the long-term plan and around 7 million euros less than this year. Transport Administration Director General Priit Sauk said adjustments would be needed, but it was too early to say where they would fall. He said ongoing roadworks would continue.

The detailed plan for next year will be drawn up after the state budget is approved. Sauk said officials could discuss the start dates for new projects planned for 2027 and 2028, and may also need to adjust road preservation work.

Tarmo Trei, who represents infrastructure construction companies, said he feared the reduction would affect road preservation and maintenance, which he said were already underfunded. A state analysis in 2025 said about 220 million euros should be spent each year on preserving state roads, while the current road maintenance plan allocates about 137 million euros for both this year and next.

Trei said Transport Administration studies showed that the condition of state roads had deteriorated. If essential repairs are delayed, he said, more extensive and costly work may be needed later.

Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis said the final amount for road maintenance could still rise through external funding. He added that some work had been brought forward from next year to this year, and the road maintenance plan would be settled early next year.