Twenty road signs stolen in Cēsis municipality / Article

Twenty “Weight Limit” road signs have been stolen from a regional road in Cēsis municipality, Latvian State Roads reported.

Road Sign Theft Impacts Weight Restrictions

The signs were installed because the road loses its load-bearing capacity in wet weather, becoming slippery. Latvian State Roads will report the theft to the police.

Weight restrictions are imposed on gravel road sections during thawing to prevent irreversible damage. Continued use of roads with lost load-bearing capacity by vehicles heavier than ten tons could render them completely impassable, even for those violating the regulations, according to the company.

Currently, 160 sections of gravel roads have become muddy and weight restrictions of up to ten tons have been introduced due to ongoing wet weather conditions.

The roads most affected by thawing are in Zemgale, with restrictions on 103 sections, followed by Vidzeme – 21, Latgale – 19, the Riga region – 16, and Kurzeme – one section.