January has been bitterly cold across Estonia and according to the weather service's long-range forecast, a bear might once again be spotted on [the island of] Ruhnu in the coming days — the first time in 20 years. For more than a week now, people have been unofficially using ice roads to travel between some of the smaller islands. At the end of January, a TS Laevad spokesperson told ERR, "Half-jokingly, you could say there might soon be no water left in the Väinameri Sea because everything is frozen."

And yet, just a few days earlier, the Transport Administration announced that — as has been the case for nearly the past ten years — no official ice roads would be opened this year either because "it's an investment that will inevitably melt" and is not financially viable. But is that really the case from the public's perspective or merely from the narrow viewpoint of the state budget?

State monopoly in accessing the major islands

It appears that the state's approach shifted once ferry service between the major islands began to be operated by a state-owned company instead of a private one. The last official ice road in Estonia was in use in 2019.

Saaremaa Laevakompanii went bankrupt in 2018, after the newly established state company TS Laevad won the government contract for the profitable passenger ferry service. In 2024, TS Laevad reported an operating profit of nearly €10 million (with a net profit of over €8 million). The company's revenue increased from €34.8 million in 2022 to €36.6 million in 2024. According to TS Laevad, it broke its previous passenger transport records in 2025.

Despite the line's high profitability, the state is trying to cut costs on safety in its new ferry order. According to the tender conditions, the state recently downgraded the ice class of the fifth ferry it is set to order. In simple terms, that means the new ferry would not be able to operate on the Hiiumaa route right now, as the thickness of the ice blocks in the channel — broken up by ferries and now compacted together — already exceeds the new ferry's ice class rating. Even the higher-class ice-rated ferries are currently struggling to navigate these ice conditions.

Adding to the challenge, the major island routes are currently affected by low water levels, which TS Laevad has deemed "very critical." As a result, the Regula was unable to serve the Hiiumaa route during Friday and Sunday peak hours. Since the water level has continued to drop, restrictions have been placed on vehicle transport both to Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. Due to low water levels, an icebreaker last reached the port of Abruka more than a week ago. Since then, the island's connection to Saaremaa has depended entirely on the ice road.

An official ice road provides the state with a critical risk mitigation tool for maintaining continuity of passenger transport to the major islands. In the current monopoly setup, where the state-owned company controls ferry service, ice roads are the only market competitor. With a solid winter, ticket revenue from the major islands' ferry connections could largely vanish for a few months.

Crossing the ice road has always been free for both cars and passengers. That's likely also why, in the past, Saaremaa Laevakompanii would sometimes send one of its ferries to break through the Väinameri ice from north to south just ahead of a planned ice road opening, under the guise of a technical reason. That said, the company generally accepted the existence of ice roads.

Now, having effectively taken over the role of Saaremaa Laevakompanii, the state has unilaterally decided to put an end to official ice roads. Their removal from the "market" isn't the result of current austerity measures; the decision was made back in 2021, a year marked by a generous state budget. For several years now, no funds have been allocated for opening ice roads in the Transport Administration's budget.

Socioeconomic and regional policy dimensions of ice roads

The state has painted the construction of ice roads as an expensive and irrational investment project. But how much does building an ice road actually cost? There's no up-to-date data available, as no ice roads have been created between the mainland and Muhu in the past 15 years. However, back in 2018, four of the seven official ice roads were opened for less than a month: the Saare-Hiiu ice road cost €12,000, the Haapsalu–Noarootsi road nearly €27,000 and the Vormsi road €37,000.

Costs are somewhat higher now, but it's clear that the expenses would still be outweighed by the money saved by travelers. For example, just one trip by a family of five from the mainland to Saaremaa by car could mean saving €50 thanks to the ice road. That amount often becomes a decisive factor in choosing a travel destination. Ice roads significantly boost local tourism on the islands during the otherwise quiet late winter and early spring months.

For the state, constructing a public ice road means a relatively minor expense, while for local residents and businesses it represents real income. Ferries wouldn't lose all their customers — ice roads are only open during daylight hours and many types of vehicles (such as buses and trucks) are not allowed on them for safety reasons. Ferry schedules could be scaled back while the ice roads are in use, which would result in significant fuel savings for TS Laevad in harsh winter conditions.

Compared to the company's annual €10 million profit from ferry connections, the cost of building an ice road would be a drop in the ocean. Even if the state had to spend several hundred thousand euros, it would likely be less than the total amount saved by citizens using the ice roads. That's not even counting the added boost to island tourism and the time savings for travelers. As a budget-neutral solution, the state could allocate a few percent of TS Laevad's net profit to a seasonal reserve fund. This would allow the Transport Administration to immediately open and operate public ice roads during suitable weather conditions.

In my view, the state has both a regional policy obligation and a moral duty to do so, especially considering that, unlike Saaremaa Laevakompanii, TS Laevad provides no support to local businesses or the tourism sector. Saaremaa Laevakompanii used to offer free transport for participants in major island events (such as performers, organizers and builders involved with Saaremaa Opera Days). As a state-owned company, TS Laevad is prohibited by the State Assets Act from sponsoring local events either financially or through services.

Within this legal framework, it becomes even more important for the state to give something back to island residents from time to time by offering free and public ice roads. After all, unlike the rest of Estonia, we islanders have never had, and likely never will have, free highways connecting us to the country's other population centers.

The cultural dimension of ice roads

The state's long-standing policy of excluding public ice roads is arbitrary from both a socioeconomic and regional policy standpoint. As long as the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture seem interested only in defending the monopoly position of a state-owned company, there appears to be little room for alternative calculations and the historical tradition of ice roads in Estonia is now, unfortunately, under threat.

It seems we have reached a point where the greatest threat to Estonia's ice road tradition is no longer climate change, but the government itself — specifically, the very authorities responsible for establishing public ice roads.

In light of this, I propose that the Väinameri ice roads be nominated for inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage list. That list is compiled in accordance with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

In Estonia, the UNESCO World Heritage list currently includes Tallinn's Old Town (since 1997) and the Struve Geodetic Arc (2005). UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage includes the Song and Dance Celebration tradition (2003), the Kihnu cultural space (2003), Seto leelo singing (2009), the Võru County smoke sauna tradition (2014), dugout boat (haabjas) construction and use in Soomaa (2021) and mulgipuder, a traditional barley and potato porridge (2024). Ice has even previously made it onto the World Heritage list — in the case of Greenland's Ilulissat Icefjord.

I believe no Estonian needs an explanation of how deeply important ice roads are to the identity of coastal communities. Historically, they have been a crucial means of communication with surrounding settlements and cultures during the winter months, a source of livelihood (seal hunting, fishing), a lifeline connecting small islands to the rest of the world and a rich subject of folklore and tradition.

The personal dimension of ice roads

Most Estonians likely have a personal story or connection to an ice road. In my family, for instance, the ice road played a defining role in the fate of my distant ancestor Hansken, a native of Muhu who lived to be 90. According to folklore, in the year 1532, he was granted his freedom thanks to the ice. The story goes that he rescued Livonian Order Master Wolter von Plettenberg from the ice of either the Suur or Väike Strait. What is certain is that, in gratitude, von Plettenberg granted him the only known surviving letter of freedom in Estonia, along with the right to operate a weekly postal route between the mainland, Muhu and Saaremaa. That privilege was extended to Hansken's descendants, who thus became forerunners of Eesti Post, serving in that role for the next 362 years.

Ice roads connect and isolate. In March 1949, poor sea ice conditions ended up saving many residents of my home island, Abruka (including members of my own family), from deportation. An internal security report documented that "the operatives failed to reach the target." Even into the 1990s, islanders on Abruka were occasionally trapped for months by ice. In those times, baking a single pancake required the cooperation of all households, pooling together what food was available.

Ice roads, of course, do carry risks. But statistically, they are among the safest roads in Estonia. That said, many travelers have stories of close calls, of being pulled from an ice hole and living to tell the tale. Despite the setbacks, the annual opening of Abruka's unofficial ice road remains one of the most significant events of the year. In a proper winter, it brings with it everyday joy or, for those who seek it, the thrill of adventure — right up until the middle of spring.

Summary

Ice roads to the small islands in the Väinameri and beyond have never been built or maintained by the state — they have always been the work of local islanders. The traditional knowledge passed down from generation to generation within coastal villages about different types of ice and how to build an ice road is one of the carefully preserved skills of Estonia's coastal indigenous communities. Establishing ice road connections to the larger islands, however, falls under the responsibility of the state. The state must not shrug off this obligation lightly.

Preserving and protecting the tradition of ice roads is vital for the culture of coastal people. It also carries clear global significance as intangible cultural heritage. Just ten years ago, leading international media outlets such as the BBC and The Guardian were writing about the Väinameri ice roads, calling the Hiiumaa route the longest ice road in Europe.

Spending tens or even hundreds of thousands of euros to preserve this unique tradition is economically rational, but even more importantly, it makes sense in terms of regional and cultural policy. The Saaremaa Development Center has already expressed its willingness to support the effort administratively to help secure UNESCO protection for the Väinameri ice roads as part of safeguarding coastal culture.

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