The large-scale construction work on Rail Baltica has long been a source of irritation for the people of Rapla County. However, the situation went from bad to worse in the fall when trucks transporting soil covered the roads with thick mud.

According to Toomas Laanpere, who often drives on the Tallinn-Rapla highway, the reflective posts along the roadside are now covered with a thick layer of brown mud, as are the road markings.

"Try driving on the side of the road, for example, along some of the bus routes, even from Angerja, Prillimäe and past the Salutaguse yeast factory, and you can't see the center line anymore. It's covered with this brownish-red mud," said Laanpere.

According to Laanpere, road contamination is inevitable, but he does not understand why the wheels of vehicles being used in the construction work are not required to be cleaned. According to Rando Lai, deputy mayor of Kohila, the municipality cannot do anything about the issue as they are state roads. However, the problem has been discussed with both the Transport Administration and Rail Baltica.

"The main concern has been that for both pedestrians and drivers, their shoes or property, have simply been dirtied, partially damaged. Car washing costs have increased, and, at repair shops, some changes have reportedly been seen to brake systems and other vehicle parts," said Lai.

Viktor Kisseljov, head of the northern division of the Transport Administration's road maintenance service, admitted that such a serious problem as the one that has developed could not have been foreseen.

While soil transport operations have not been carried out on such a large scale in Estonia before, the constant rain in recent weeks has made the situation worse. The problems also worsened a few weeks ago when work began on several new sections of the railway.

"It may seem that nothing is being done, but I can assure you that a lot is being done. In fact, contractors are also using all kinds of equipment in the quarries to ensure that the vehicles reach the road in a cleaner condition," said Kisseljov.

From Monday, traffic in the Hagudi area has been reduced by 40 percent. According to Raul Ulm, technical director of Rail Baltica, the company itself realized that the condition of the roads had become unbearable. Ulm said that the installation of washing tanks at quarries is currently being considered, but that would not be possible at every quarry.

"They are not so easy to install because they require a lot of water. The water has to be directed somewhere. That requires special water use permits as well as compliance with environmental requirements," said Ulm.

On peak days, several hundred loads of soil are transported along the highway, which makes it impossible to keep the wheels of the vehicles clean at all times.

"It is difficult to secure local water supplies, and the volumes required for the construction of Rail Baltica are extremely large. It is very easy to exceed the limit, which requires a special water use permit and raises separate questions about how to drain this water away," said Ulm.

Construction work on Rail Baltica will be paused during Christmas week.

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