Washboard roads

In English  · Published 17.09.2015

There was a time when rural police chiefs were responsible for monitoring the condition and maintenance of small roads in Finland. This meant that they were also blamed for bad roads.

Bumpy, unpaved roads put a strain on shock absorbers while also making travelling unpleasant. Washboard surfaces can form on gravel roads and snow-covered roads. 

Ground frost makes the wear surface of the road uneven, and dents are easily formed on the surface when cars brake and accelerate in dry weather.

Water and loose gravel make the dents deeper. Bends are particularly prone to washboarding. In heavy traffic, each vehicle makes the dents even deeper.

Washboard surfaces are usually repaired in the spring, when the weather is favourable for the work. Smoothing out the surface is not enough – the road must be ground deeper to get to the core of the problem.

Text: Anu Mäkelä  |  Photo: Lehtikuva