Increasing Heavy Goods Vehicles Flows on the Main and Regional Roads, Yet Decreasing Traffic Volumes on the State Road Network in 2020

Compared to 2019, general traffic flows decreased by 8.6 per cent on the state significance main roads in 2020. However, traffic volumes of road trains, i. e. towing vehicles coupled with trailers or semi-trailers (loading >12 t), (later – towing vehicles), increased by 2.6 per cent and heavy goods vehicles  by 0.9 per cent.

The data has been obtained after SE Lithuanian Road Administration (later – the Road Administration) conducted the analysis of average annual daily traffic volumes (later – AADT) on state significance roads and compared traffic dynamics on the main, national and regional roads. Traffic volumes dynamics, especially those of heavy goods vehicles, partially reveals the trends of the country‘s economy.

Compared to 2019, the total traffic volumes on national roads decreased by ca 4.2 per cent in 2020. Traffic volumes of heavy goods vehicles decreased by 7.9 per cent and those of towing vehicles by 5.8 per cent on these roads.

Traffic volumes on regional roads increased by 1 per cent, heavy goods vehicles by 2.5 per cent, and those of towing vehicles even by 9.1 per cent.

In the summer of 2020, after the lockdown was revoked, traffic volumes on most roads leading to tourist attractions was higher than in 2019. However, due to movement restrictions introduced during lockdown, AADT was lower than in 2019.

AADT data are important not only for road designers, but for the local inhabitants as it is one of the key indicators influencing on the placement of the road section on the priority list as well as when determining the road maintenance level. Moreover, based on heavy goods traffic data, designing and road pavement structure solutions and traffic organization measures are selected. The findings of the carried out environmental impact assessment noise enable to draw maps. The data above are used when analyzing traffic dynamics, trends, transit transport movement on state significance roads through the use of feasibility studies and territorial planning documents.