Road maintenance during the summer

Brushing

In spring, once the snow and ice have receded, brushing work is carried out in order to clean away the grit from the road surface. The work begins in urban areas and on walking and cycling routes, so that the sections with the most non-motorised traffic are cleaned up first. After this, rest areas and parking areas are cleaned, then highways and main roads, and finally other paved roads.

To reduce the generation of dust, brushing is always carried out with a machine that wets the grit before brushing it away. Where necessary, other loose and superfluous material is also cleaned from the roads throughout the year.

Other cleaning work

After winter, many types of cleaning and tidying are needed on roads, in the areas covered by them and in the surrounding environment. During the spring, traffic signs, marker posts and bus stops are cleaned and repaired. Debris is cleared from the roadside, detached kerb stones are repaired, bridges are washed and resting areas together with their fixtures are made ready for use. Most of these measures are implemented by the end of May. If necessary, these same measures are also carried out later in the summer.

Green care

There are diverse green areas in the road environment. One of the most common jobs is mowing the slopes alongside the roads. Read more about mowing work. The area along the edge of the road is also cleared so that it remains free from tress and scrub. This clearing work improves visibility on corners and, in the event of an accident, the risk of colliding with a tree is significantly lower.

Busy roads are cleared every 2 years, while less busy roads are cleared only every 3 years and the area cleared is narrower. We needed, intersection areas, areas around schools and areas where game animals pose a hazard are cleared on an annual basis. Populated areas and their nearby surroundings may have more park-like road environments, for example in the areas around underpasses. In such areas, the grass is kept shorter than on mown road sections, and trees and bushes are also kept in good condition.

Improving drainage

Draining water off the road surface and its structures is one of the most important ways of ensuring a long service life for both the road surface and the entire structure. Road drainage is improved during the summer season by digging silted-up ditches deeper and replacing culverts that are broken or at the wrong height. Where needed, drainage ditches are also cleaned out.

The general aim is to improve drainage on road sections where resurfacing work is carried out. The condition of rainwater and drainage systems is monitored especially in the spring once the grit has been cleared away and any silt in storm drains has been removed.