Dan Eriksson works as a national coordinator for winter road maintenance and has his office in Borlänge. When he started working 30 years ago, he and his colleagues in Dalarna had a concept they called “Mälarklimat”.
– It meant constant shifts around zero, and it could even rain on cold roads.
Now that weather has moved significantly further north, he says.
– Now there may be rain in the Jämtland region and it was not common before.
Higher demands on those who fight against slipping
When the weather changes a lot around zero degrees, it places high demands on both road users and those who work with anti-skid control.
Is the Swedish Transport Administration equipped to meet this?
– Yes, I think so, but it is clearly an interaction with road users, says Dan Eriksson.
Costs have increased in recent years
In 2010, the Swedish Transport Administration’s winter road maintenance cost SEK 1.9 billion. In 2020, it had fallen to SEK 1.8 billion.
After that, there has been a steep increase in costs. In 2022, winter road maintenance cost SEK 2.2 billion and in 2023 the estimated cost is SEK 2.4 billion.
According to the Swedish Transport Administration, part of this is due to the fact that inflation is strong and that the price of diesel has risen a lot. Another part of the cost increase is due to fewer hauliers submitting tenders.