Main road 9131 Isopalo–Lehtovaara
Funded by Euregio Karelia Neighbourhood Programme 2001-2006

Objective of the project

Main road 9131 Isopalo–Lehtovaara is a narrow, small-sized gravel road of 8.8 km in length, which leads to the Karttimo border crossing point located in the Suomussalmi Municipality region. The Karttimo border crossing location is used year-round to transport wood from Russia to Finland as raw material for use in the wood and paper industries. In order to enable easier trucking transport on the road, passing areas and temporary wood storage areas were needed in order to ensure that raw material supply would continue during the spring when the road conditions are worse. The project's goal was to improve main road 9131 Isopalo–Lehtovaara so that wood transport by heavy trucking equipment from Russia to Finland via the border crossing point would be made easier.

Main activities

• to construct 30 passing areas as well as a temporary storage area for wood products in the immediate vicinity of the Karttimo border crossing point. • to renew the traffic arrangements at the Karttimo border crossing point

Achievements

In order to enable easier year-round wood transport, the project funding was used to construct 30 passing areas as well as a temporary storage area for wood products in the immediate vicinity of the Karttimo border crossing point. In addition, the traffic arrangements at the Karttimo border crossing point were renewed and new, more modern monitoring, inspection and lighting equipment was installed. The Oulu Road Region had work done at the same time, as a separate project, on main road 9131 in order to improve the load-bearing capacity as well as strengthen the foundations along an approximately one-kilometre-long stretch of the road. Approximately €63,856 was used by the Finnish Road Administration for the basic road improvements.