Heavy Rain Slows Work on Estonia's Eastern Border

Last week's heavy rain has slowed construction on one section of the eastern border in south Estonia, and the work will now need to be redone. Estonia has been reinforcing its border with Russia for several years. Of the 136-kilometer land border, construction has already been completed on more than 110 kilometers. Work is currently underway on five sections, with each area at a different stage, from just beginning to almost completed, said Merle Tikk, project manager for border construction at the Police and Border Guard Board. However, at one stretch in Meremäe, Võru County, last week's heavy rain has halted construction. "The contractor had already done a great deal of work. When the patrol roads were being built, the torrential rain washed away part of the surface layer and then created ditches where ditches should not be. So, challenges for both the contractor and us," Tikk said. The eastern border is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. The total cost of building the entire border is €185.1 million. The final phase of the land border lies mostly in marshy areas and is awaiting a funding decision. Estonia's eastern border separates the country, and the EU, from the Russian Federation, while its long southern land border with Latvia is an internal EU frontier.