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, Finland's bridge stock is ageing. Of the 15,188 state-owned road bridges, 37% are 50 years or older, and more than half are over 40 — well past the 30–40 years at which, according to the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, bridges typically reach major-renovation age.
Source: Väylävirasto, Väyläviraston sillat 31.12.2024 (Väyläviraston julkaisuja 78/2025)
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.