The regional road network, consisting of regional, connecting and private roads, covers 96 percent of the Finnish road network. The network's funding is declining while its importance to the economy, security of supply and people's everyday lives is increasing. A new report presents ways to solve the situation.
In 2026, 279 million euros will be spent on repairs to paved roads in Finland, but funding will drop to 165 million euros in 2027. The funding will prioritize repairs to the pavements of main roads, even though 90 percent of the state road network's repair debt is for regional and connecting roads. The same scarce funding line, which focuses on main roads, will continue until 2029.
The state road repair debt is 2,6 billion euros, of which 2,4 billion euros are allocated to regional and local roads. The private road repair debt is approximately 1,3 billion euros.
The information is available from a report commissioned by the business community and the local government. According to the report, an additional 180 million euros must be allocated for the repair of the regional road network's pavements so that they can also be taken care of. 50 million euros are needed for the maintenance of gravel roads and 30 million euros for state subsidies for private roads per year. At the same time, the purchasing power of road financing must be maintained.
The number of pavements in poor condition has quadrupled
The condition of the road network in Finland has deteriorated rapidly since 2011. At that time, there were approximately 3,000 kilometers of poor-quality pavements across the entire state road network, while in 2025 the figure was approximately 12,000 kilometers. The roads in Eastern and Northern Finland are in the weakest position.
At the current planned funding level, the number of state road sections in need of repair could increase to 31,000 kilometers by 2036, according to calculations by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.
The impact of road repair debt extends to the entire society
The regional road network is important for several industries, such as the forest industry, agriculture and tourism. It generates tens of billions in turnover and is needed for the maintenance of critical infrastructure such as energy networks and national defense. Over a million people use the network in their everyday lives: it enables services, school and social services transportation, as well as rescue and police operations.
The growing repair debt threatens to increase transport costs by up to billions of euros, hinder industrial investments, and weaken security of supply and safety.
The report presents a vision for halting the growth of the repair debt. Its realization requires long-term parliamentary will for sufficient funding, as well as timely, proactive and efficient maintenance utilizing new operating models and technologies.
The report "The regional road network as the basis for Finland's functionality, economic growth and safety" was commissioned by INFRA, Koneuryrittäjät, the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Enterprises, Metsäkeskus, the Confederation of Finnish Agricultural and Forestry Producers MTK, Finnish Transport and Logistics SKAL, the Finnish Road Association and Destia. It was carried out by Destia's Strategic Transport Systems Unit.
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