Wind turbine transport to Latvia may slow traffic from Friday
Oversized wind turbine loads moving from Paldiski will make their way to Latvia over four nights starting May 1, potentially causing delays on several southbound highways.
According to the Transport Administration, the convoys will use two main routes through the western half of Estonia.
One will run via Tallinn Ring Road through the Saku area, Rapla and Kergu, continuing through Aluste, Tori, Paikuse and Abja-Paluoja before crossing into Latvia via Penuja.
The second route will follow Tallinn Ring Road to Tallinn-Tartu Highway, then via Imavere toward Viljandi and onward through Kõpu and Mereküla to the Via Baltica, heading to the Latvian border.
Special permits will allow the transports to travel between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Each night, up to four convoys may be on the move, with as many as four oversized loads per convoy.
The vehicle combinations can reach up to 90 meters in length and 5.6 meters in height.
In all, components for 16 turbines will be transported to Latvia, with transport operations expected to continue over two months.
Preparations in April included temporary road expansions, adjustments at traffic circles and the removal and replacement of road signs to accommodate the loads.
No affected roads will be fully closed, but drivers should expect disruptions and delays along the routes and plan accordingly, the agency said.
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Editor: Mait Ots, Aili Vahtla
