Problems of the formation and use of roads of local significance and their solution ways in the municipality of Šiauliai region

Abstract

A road is a very important engineering structure that provides transportation opportunities for the public. Roads are divided into categories according to their importance: national and local roads. In Lithuania, the formation and use of local significance roads are usually the responsibility of local authorities. These roads connect cities, villages, and rural areas within a municipality or district. They play an important role in connecting communities and supporting economic development. In Lithuania, maintenance and development funding of local significant roads are usually the local authority's responsibility, but lowestlevel roads often lack this funding. Due to the emerging problematic nature, it is appropriate to detail the peculiarities and problems of the use of local roads and find ways to solve them. The aim of the article is to detail the problematic nature of the road, and cadastral measurements of unregistered local roads of the Kairiai ward of the Šiauliai district were carried out. It showed more than 4 km. inconsistencies with the solutions of the 2018 Šiauliai District Special Plan. To ensure the proper use of land in Lithuania, state control of land use is carried out. During the case analysis, photos of the condition of the roads were taken, from which it was observed that the lowest-level roads lack the funds allocated by the Republic of Lithuania and the European Union for road maintenance and development. So, the Studies showed that cadastral measurements are an excellent way to capture problematic points of roads. To detail these problems, 29 unregistered roads measurements were carried out in the Kairiai ward of the Šiauliai district, which showed that the lowest link roads were often in very poor condition, due to which the roads can no longer fulfill their main purpose. Poor road condition indicates the lack of road maintenance and development, but during 2018 – 2022 average government funding was about 2,06 million Eur, for the Šiauliai district. During the cadastral measurements of the local roads, it was noticed that the adjacent plots of land were formed without considering the actual position of the roads. To address these challenges, local authorities can implement a variety of solutions, such as increasing funding through partnerships, developing comprehensive road construction and maintenance plans, implementing traffic management strategies, investing in road safety infrastructure, and promoting sustainable transport options