Finland: Lack of funding returns semi-paved roads to gravel in remote areas of t

[cpzilliacus]

Helsingin Sanomat English edition: Lack of funding returns semi-paved roads to gravel in remote areas of the country

When the surface of a tarred road is in poor shape, it may be returned to a gravel surface.

Dozens of kilometres of so-called SOP-surfaced roads will be returned to gravel even in the current year.

The SOP-surfaced roads are gravel roads treated with a special method in which the surface is bound with bitumen solution and crushed aggregates. The surface will be removed if the road is in poor condition and its traffic volume is low.

Post Merge: August 13, 2012, 09:52:34 AM
The article does not mention it, but (what in  U.S. terms would be) the Finnish arterial and freeway networks are kept in excellent condition year-round, in spite of the harsh Finnish winters.

[Scott5114]

Is this "SOP" surface they're talking about chipseal?

[agentsteel53]

indeed, I was extremely impressed with how well northern Finland, Swedish, and Norway maintain their roads.  I had absolutely no trouble getting around in March 2008.

[cpzilliacus]

Is this "SOP" surface they're talking about chipseal?

I don't think chipseal is a good description.

SOP is an abbreviation from the Finnish language, which I don't know very well at all.

But having driven a lot on Finnish roads (primary and secondary highways), I think I know what they are.  These are (former) gravel-surfaced roads that have had some sort of bituminous surface applied. 

It's not asphalt (a common and popular paving material in Finland), but some sort of a rougher version of what we would call asphalt (nor is it macadam either).  It is used to convert a gravel road to a paved road, but the pavement is not as durable as real asphalt.  They take aggregate and mix it up with some sort of tar or oil, then pour it out and roll it over the (former) gravel road surface, resulting in a "paved" and reasonably dust-free road.

[Scott5114]

Hm. That sounds rather close to the process of chipsealing a road to me... pour oil on the gravel road, add more gravel, let summer heat and cars compress the gravel into a hard surface. The premixing the aggregate and the oil might be the key difference.

[cpzilliacus]

Hm. That sounds rather close to the process of chipsealing a road to me... pour oil on the gravel road, add more gravel, let summer heat and cars compress the gravel into a hard surface. The premixing the aggregate and the oil might be the key difference.

My home county (Montgomery County, Maryland) used to chipseal many roads and streets for which it has maintenance responsibility (in Maryland, counties maintain most secondary roads in unincorporated areas, and since we don't have townships or boroughs, that means most of the state). It stopped when citizens started to bitch and complain that the freshly-poured stone chips "damaged" their cars.

The aggregate used on Finnish roads is much more coarse then the chipsealing I am used to seeing in Maryland.

Here are two examples:

• Google Street View (Google.se, so it may take a while to load) showing a paved road that once had a gravel surface that's been paved in the last decade or two in the southern Finnish town of Jorvas (an exurb of Helsingfors):  Hirsalavägen; and
• Also GSV, from Sweden, of a similar road, once gravel, now paved: Ortalavägen  (the alignment of this road dates back many centuries and is considered to have cultural significance, and as such, cannot, by law, be straightened or realigned).