In Finland, this importance is reflected in public spending: approximately €260 million is invested annually in bridge maintenance and repairs. Yet the maintenance backlog continues to grow, and existing practices are struggling to provide timely visibility across the bridge network.
In 2024, 1,055 state-owned road and railway bridges in Finland were classified as poor or very poor, up from 1,009 in 2023.
At the same time, a large share of Finland's bridges are reaching 50–60 years of age, making them increasingly vulnerable to deterioration and more dependent on regular condition monitoring.
Current inspection practice still relies heavily on visual inspections, typically conducted every five years, while continuous monitoring with direct sensor systems remains limited.
Experts we spoke with emphasized that the real need is not simply more monitoring, but monitoring that directly supports maintenance and repair decisions — helping authorities prioritize limited budgets where they matter most.