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LVM Starts Mowing Grass and Shoots on Roadsides

In summer, JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) regularly mows grass on the edges of roads to improve the condition of roads and their service life. It is planned to carry out mowing works in an area of 17 418 km by the middle of November.

“Shrubs and trees on the roadsides make it difficult to drain water, their roots begin to damage the road structure, whereas the branches cover the air space above roads, which prevents roads from drying out and gradually destroys roads, thus reducing their service life. Therefore, it is important to mow grass and shoots in a timely and regular manner,” tells Jānis Buņķis, LVM Forest Infrastructure Planning Manager.

Shoot and lawn mowing is done in three different widths: up to 2 metres, 2–4 metres and 4–6 metres. The edges of roads are mowed up in a width of 2 metres every year. In the remaining areas the mowing widths are applied according to the length of the shoots and the road category – every 2 to 3 years.

Grass and shoots are mowed with trailed or mounted mowers, which are usually attached to agricultural tractors. Often these works are also performed with hand tools, especially in places with difficult terrain and ditch layout.

“LVM enters into contracts for the mowing of shoots and grass for three seasons, so that cooperation partners can count on a stable amount of work over a longer period. The agreements provide for a unit price recalculation mechanism in accordance with the consumer price index set by the Central Statistical Bureau. This year, due to the drop in the price of diesel fuel, the service prices have decreased by 9% on average,” says Jānis Buņķis, LVM Forest Infrastructure Planning Manager.

Daily forest road maintenance works include about 30 different works, each of which has a set of quality requirements, which are tested. Depending on the season, the following works are performed: road surface care (gliding, profiling, levelling) from spring to autumn, while in winter the road surface is cleared of snow; corrugation, spreading are performed. LVM performs operational works, such as road pavement and pit repairs, throughout the year.