Latvia to remove Russia and Belarus from road signs
Road sign in Latvia indicating direction to Russia (Photo: Binders)
Latvia plans to gradually change road signs that indicate the names of settlements in Russia and Belarus. Minister of Transport Rihards Kozlovskis stated that a full replacement of all signs is not an urgent necessity, but a corresponding plan has already been prepared, according to Delfi.
The replacement of signs is taking place gradually – during planned repair works or updates to road infrastructure. They plan to completely eliminate signs indicating directions to Russia and Belarus by September 30.
According to the state enterprise Latvijas Valsts ceļi, a total of 235 road signs and information signs have been identified on the country's state roads that mention settlements in Russia and Belarus.
Most of these signs are located on major highways, particularly in the Vidzeme, Daugavpils, Bauska, and Jelgava directions. Some signs are also located in the territory of Riga and Daugavpils.
It is separately noted that the Riga municipality has installed 78 such signs.
How much the replacement will cost
The Latvian Ministry of Transport estimates that partial correction of all major signs and full replacement of signs with names of settlements in Russia and Belarus could cost about 120,000 euros, including VAT.
At the same time, the ministry emphasizes that they do not plan to request additional funding from the state budget. The changes should be carried out gradually using available funds.
Why they decided not to replace them all at once
The Ministry of Transport's report notes that one of the options is partial correction of the inscriptions on the signs. However, such an approach could create technical problems.
In particular, the ministry warns that partially covering individual names could impair the quality of sign visibility in the dark and negatively affect their visibility for drivers.
For this reason, the authorities consider it more appropriate to carry out a comprehensive renewal of the signs when possible during repairs or replacement of outdated structures.
