Ain Kendra: Need for 2+2 Highways Will Only Disappear with Invention of Teleportation
In response to traffic lawyer Indrek Sirk's claim that Estonia doesn't need four-lane highways, expert Ain Kendra argues that wider roads remain essential and will only become obsolete with mass teleportation.
Ain Kendra, responding to Indrek Sirk's comments about the unnecessary nature of four-lane highways in Estonia, emphasizes that the need for 2+2 profile roads will only vanish when teleportation becomes commonplace.
Sirk previously stated on Vikerraadio that Estonia should not build four-lane highways at all, citing low average daily traffic intensity and arguing that drivers manage well on existing roads. Kendra, however, points to several compelling reasons for building such roads, including EU TEN-T network requirements and the need to plan at least 20 years ahead.
According to TEN-T regulations, core highways (e.g., Tallinn–Pärnu–Ikla and Tallinn–Tartu) must have divided directional lanes and grade-separated junctions by 2030, with other roads by 2050. Exceptions are allowed for roads with average annual daily traffic below 10,000 vehicles. Currently, Estonia's TEN-T network includes 1,289 kilometers of state roads.
Current Estonian road design standards require a 2+2 profile for traffic exceeding 14,500 vehicles per day, while before 2012, the threshold was a projected 8,000 vehicles. By the end of 2025, only 110 km of state roads exceeded 14,500 vehicles per day, while divided lanes already exist on 300 km. Another 66 km have traffic above 10,000 vehicles but no divided lanes.
Kendra highlights that traffic near cities is highly asymmetric—for example, on the Viljandi road, 85% of cars head into the city in the morning. Thus, threshold values should not be seen as absolute. Public transport requires high ridership to be viable, without which the car remains the main mode of transport.
One key insight is that while proponents hope for autonomous vehicles, they will only improve road capacity if all vehicles communicate and there are no pedestrians, cyclists, or scooter users. Until then, traffic intensity will continue to grow, making wider roads necessary until teleportation becomes widely available.
Kendra recommends prioritizing the completion of the Tallinn–Pärnu 2+2 highway to Uulu, then expanding the Tartu direction to Kambja and Elva, followed by the Tallinn–Narva highway. Priorities for other routes depend largely on developments with the eastern neighbor.
