E18 Highway a Danger to Motorists
This dangerous landslide occurred on the E18 in December 2008.
Image: YLE / Vilho Halonen
The E18 highway between Turku and Helsinki was built more with an eye for savings than safety, reports the daily Turun Sanomat. Road authorities now admit taking risks that could have put motorists in danger.
"We probably got the road cheaply, but cost-cutting caused us to take certain risks, and safety requirements were not met," admits investment manager Matti Vehviläinen from Liikenneturva, the central organisation for Finnish traffic safety.
One issue are the paths cut through rocky terrain, forming steep cliffs on either side of the road. These were not made wide enough. Three small but dangerous landslides have occurred since the highway was taken into use. Luckily, no one was injured.
Vehviläinen says the passes through the rocky hills may have to be widened, at great expense.
The company that carried out the construction work, Tieyhtiö Ykköstie Oy, denies having made any risky decisions in order to trim costs.
"We are responsible for road maintained, these problems have come up in connection with the road cuts, the situation is being examined and measures are being considered in cooperation with the central organisation for traffic safety. Right now, what is most important is that the safety of road users is in no way endangered," said Company CEO Tom Schmidt.
YLE, Turun Sanomat