“The first survey showed that nine in 10 checked roads are of poor quality. We expected the quality to be better. It is very important to see results from the second phase when we test the remaining 23 roads,” Masiulis told a news conference on Thursday.
In his words, 22 million euros were earmarked for reconstruction of the 10 surveyed roads, and the defects resulted in a loss of 5.5 million euros.
“Poor quality causes a shorter period of road service. A road should serve 20 years but we see that the average service time is five years shorter,” said the minister.
Vitalijus Andrejevas, acting director of the Lithuanian Road Administration, said that the poor quality of road construction leads to potholes, rutting, cracks, which accumulate water.
The Transport and Communications Ministry together with the road administration launched the road audit in late summer of 2017, with plans to check 33 random stretches of roads.