Estonian road authority not losing hope on Hiiumaa ice road

Photo: Joel Tammet, CopterCam OÜ

While ice conditions have prevented the opening of ice roads between the mainland and Hiiumaa and the Hiiumaa and Saaremaa islands, the Estonian Road Administration has not lost hope that the connections can be opened still before the winter ends, the regional newspaper Hiiu Leht said.

Roadmasters have driven onto the ice many times to measure its thickness both on the Heltermaa-Rohukula route between the country's second biggest island and the mainland as well as on the Soru-Triigi route between the two largest islands.

"There's no established interval in carrying out ice reconnaissance, everything depends on the weather and ice conditions," said Hannes Vaidla, lead specialist with the Road Administration's western region.

On the Heltermaa-Rohukula route officials have found places where ice is only 5-10 centimeters thick. In order for an ice road to open ice must be at least 20 centimeters thick. On the route between the two islands ice is thick enough but opening of an ice road is prevented by cracks in the ice and water that has risen above the surface of the ice.

Vaidla said that while roadmasters have not lost all hope yet, one has to remember that spring is just around the corner and the snowfall that the region got over the weekend doesn't help ice to become thicker either.