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Private roads
Finland's road network consists of highways, streets and private roads. Various parties operate highways, streets and private roads. Highways are managed by the state, streets are managed by municipalities, and private roads are managed by road councils or private road owners.
Granting private road grants is a voluntary discretionary activity of the municipality. The municipality decides on private road subsidies, their conditions and supervision. The city of Riihimäki grants consent to install traffic control devices on private roads.
Private road maintenance grants available for application 1.1.-2.5.2026
You can apply for grants from the City of Riihimäki for the maintenance of private roads. The application period is 1 January–2 May 2026.
During this application period, financial assistance can be applied for retroactively for measures considered to be part of the 2025 maintenance that were carried out between January 1 and December 31, 2025. Financial assistance can be applied for if it has not been granted in advance.
During this application period, it is also possible to apply for a work grant, which covers the period from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027.
The grant is based on the principles of private road assistance approved by the Technical Committee of the City of Riihimäki, which aim to support the maintenance of private roads within the city budget. The assistance must be in the city's interest, equal, fair and economically justified. The grant is granted to road municipalities whose applications meet the terms and criteria for granting assistance. The grant can also be granted conditionally according to the grant principles. Read the city's grant principles and if anything remains unclear, feel free to ask the contact persons for more information.
Submitting applications
The grant can be applied for electronically at: https://riihimaki.tiekuntarekisteri.fi/, and the necessary information is attached to the application according to the instructions.
In exceptional cases, if an electronic application is not possible for a justified reason, the application may be submitted on paper. The city must be notified in advance and the reasons must be provided.
Service credentials
If you do not yet have the codes, you can request them from Matriset Oy's product support;
tel. 040 558 9137
email: helpdesk@matriset.fi
Transition period 2025–2026
The City of Riihimäki will apply a transition period for private road subsidies in 2025 and 2026. During this period, among other things:
– The grant is granted as a fixed amount of euros per kilometer.
– The amount of the subsidy is based on the prescribed road categories and percentages.
– Grants are awarded within the limits of the appropriations set by the city budget.
Establishment of a road association and conditional grants
If a road municipality has not been established, residents of private roads can apply for assistance under the following conditions:
– One authorized person is responsible for the application.
– The names and written consents of all road users must be collected.
– The applicant is responsible for the accuracy of the authorization.
During the transition period, the City of Riihimäki may exercise discretion in processing applications and deciding to grant grants and may deviate from the approved principles for justified reasons. The City's discretion must be fair, equal and just towards the private roads that have submitted the application. During the transition period, grants may also be granted conditionally.
You can find the principles of assisting with private roads in the City of Riihimäki here:
Principles of assistance for private roads, maintenance allowance
Traffic control devices for private roads
Traffic control devices on private roads mean, for example, traffic signs and booms. The traffic control device may be placed on a private road by the road municipality or the shareholders after obtaining the municipality's consent.
The municipality's consent is not required for the installation of temporary traffic control devices due to the condition of the road, the work being carried out on or next to the road. It is often a situation where the exceptionality or urgency of the situation does not make it possible to obtain consent. If the situation becomes more permanent, the consent of the private road manager must be obtained.
The road manager (the road authority or road partners) must apply for consent to install a traffic control device from the municipality, and the official makes a decision based on the application, which is made publicly available. The task of Tiekunta or the partners is to acquire, install and maintain the traffic control device. The applicant is also responsible for the correctness and up-to-dateness of the traffic control device.
The following information must be presented in the application:
- At the road council's meeting, the installation of a traffic control device on a private road must first be approved before seeking the municipality's consent.
- If there are other roads in the area of influence of the traffic control device, then the minutes of the road council's meeting must also be attached to the application, which shows the consent of these road authorities regarding the traffic control device in question (or in the case of unorganized road councils, consent signed by the shareholders or powers of attorney from all parties).
- Attach a copy of the minutes of the meeting with reasons to the free-form application, which shows the road authority's positive position on the installation of the traffic control device.
- If the road union has not been established, all road shareholders must sign the application or give written consent to it.
- In the application, state which traffic signs the county wants to place on the private road.
- In the application, explain why traffic signs are applied for on a private road.
- Mark the planned location of the traffic sign or similar and the direction of the sign's effect in the map appendix.
- Send the application to kirjaamo@riihimaki.fi or the City of Riihimäki, PO Box 125, 11101 Riihimäki. Add the entry "Private roads, Application for setting up a traffic control device" in the message.
According to the Road Traffic Act, information about the installation of the traffic control device must be submitted to the Norwegian Railway Agency in order to store the information about the control device in the Digiroad information system. Tiekunta or shareholders report the information on the Digiroad page Submitting personal information to Digiroad
If the state or municipality jointly assists the road municipality or road partners in the maintenance of the road, the use of the road for traffic other than for the benefit of the road partners may not be prohibited or the road closed during the period to which the assistance applies. The same applies to the road, the maintenance of which the municipality is responsible for at its own expense. (Privacy Act 560/2018, section 85.)
Private Roads Act
Private Roads Act 560/2018 contains information on, among other things, the maintenance and costs of private roads, setting up traffic signs, restricting and prohibiting the use of private roads, the right of non-road owners to use private roads and requirements as conditions for state and municipal subsidies.
The law limits the municipality's grant opportunities by making the grant for a private road a condition that a road authority has been established to handle matters related to the road and that the information about the road authority and private road in the private road register and the road and street network information system is up-to-date as required by the Act on Private Roads. The purpose of the law is to guarantee legal protection for the parties involved in matters concerning private roads and equal treatment of road sharers.
Obligations of the road partner
The recipient of the right of way for a private road is obliged as a road partner to participate in the maintenance of that private road according to his share.
The obligation to build and maintain the road begins when the right of way is established and ends when the right of way ceases. Tiekunta can, upon application, obligate a property along a private road to become a partner, if the road can be used for the property's traffic needs.
The road maintenance obligation and the resulting costs are divided among the road partners on the basis of road units. The road units are confirmed among the road partners in the road unit calculation.
Information about private roads, their registration and information reporting
A private road should be registered and, if necessary, it can hire a road manager to supervise the interest of the road and facilitate administrative work. You can get instructions for establishing, caring for and maintaining a private road From the Land Surveying Institute website. The university's information is reported to the Land Survey and To Digiroad.
You can find more information about private roads in addition to Finlex, the pages of the Finnish Land Survey and the website of the Norwegian Railways Agency, for example From the Finnish Road Association website. You can also order a free private road newsletter or the free Private Road Uutiset magazine from the Finnish Road Association's website.
The city as a road partner
As the city changes its practices regarding private roads from 1.10.2025 October XNUMX, the city's direct responsibility and participation in acting as a road partner through land assets will be transferred, which is the responsibility of the energy industry and the area of responsibility for land use (contact person city surveyor Ari Vettenterä, tonttimyinti(a)riihimaki.fi and/or kirjaamo(a) riihimaki.fi). In this model, the city can be a road partner based on land ownership, and the position is fully equivalent to anyone who owns land along the road. However, the city differs from the traditional road owner in that the city can only act in a representative manner – decisions are made in institutions and by procedures regulated by the form of office holders. Regarding the role of the private road to Osaka, this means that in practice the city can participate as a landowner in the operation of the road network through the road network. The city's goal is a functioning and private roads law-compliant administration on all the private roads of which the city is a partner.
In addition to possibly acting as a road partner, the city can assist private roads according to the new principles of assisting private roads.
The short address for this page is riihimaki.fi/yksityistiet.
Questions and additional information for the city
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Owners of private roads are responsible for the condition and passability of the road in accordance with section 24 of the Private Roads Act.
Section 24 of the Private Roads Act, Road maintenance
The road must be kept in the condition required by the road users' traffic needs, so that the maintenance does not incur unreasonable costs for the road user, that the road or its use does not cause unnecessary inconvenience or disturbance to anyone, or unnecessary harm to the environment or other violation of the public interest. Traffic safety must also be taken into account in the maintenance.
If the road or part of it is not necessary for any road user in winter, winter maintenance can be omitted in that respect.
In addition to this law, road maintenance must comply with the provisions of the Nature Conservation Act, the Water Act, the Antiquities Act, Chapter 3 of the Forestry Act, the Environmental Protection Act and other laws. If a measure related to road maintenance requires a permit from an authority according to another law, the measure may not be taken until the permit has been granted.
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People living along a private road are primarily responsible for the condition and maintenance of the road in accordance with Section 24 of the Private Roads Act. The road authority can apply for a grant from the state to cover the costs of basic improvements.
The Technical Committee has decided on a new model for the city's assistance activities for maintenance grants at the meeting on February 25, 2025 (§ 17), and the Technical Committee has specified the principles of assistance for private roads, Maintenance Grant on June 3, 2025 (§ 56).
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The toll is collected from the toll holders based on the extract from the payment list. Tolls, interest and collection costs are directly enforceable. The road authority can charge a user fee if it grants permission to use the road to people other than road owners.
Instructions for road unitization can be found on the Land Surveying Institute's website Road unification of a private road. It has been prepared to facilitate road unitization Road unification of a private road -publication.
If the municipality owns real estate or a public area along a private road, as a road partner it pays its share of road maintenance according to the road unit calculation. The city's vitality sector and the area of responsibility for land use represent the city in data simulations according to the Real Estate and Redemption and Road Act and in meetings of private road road shareholders. Contact person city surveyor Ari Vettenterä, plot sale(a)riihimaki.fi and/or kirjaamo(a)riihimaki.fi).
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The city has many statutory obligations for which these tax revenues are used. The city will consider, as necessary, what use the tax revenue will be directed to.
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The city council generally decides on the following year's budget in November. The budget allocated approximately 85,000 euros for private road assistance for 2026.
The city always provides assistance for the maintenance of private roads within the allocated budget. Application deadlines for the grant will be announced separately and further information can be found, for example, on this private roads website. You can ask for more information through the city's feedback service. https://palaute.riihimaki.fi/eFeedback or street and equipment services.
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If the road association is registered, it is possible to apply for assistance from the state to improve private roads in accordance with the Private Roads Act.
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According to the new principles for private road assistance, the city grants grants in cash, but work assistance is possible in some cases.
The principles define clear conditions and criteria for granting assistance. If a work grant is granted for a private road section, no financial maintenance grant will be granted for that private road section.
If the municipality owns real estate or a public area along a private road, as a road partner it pays its share of road maintenance according to the road unit calculation. The city's vitality sector and the area of responsibility for land use represent the city in data simulations according to the Real Estate and Redemption and Road Act and in meetings of private road road shareholders. Contact person city surveyor Ari Vettenterä, plot sale(a)riihimaki.fi and/or kirjaamo(a)riihimaki.fi).
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Road partners, who do not form a road union, bear and are jointly responsible for matters concerning the road.
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According to the Private Roads Act, a condition for granting a grant for road maintenance is that a road municipality has been established to handle road-related matters and that the information regarding the road municipality and private roads in the private road register and the road and street network information system is up-to-date (Section 84 of the Private Roads Act). In addition, a grant can only be granted if it has been applied for and funds have been budgeted for it each year. In addition, the principles of the City of Riihimäki's grant for private roads are taken into account.
According to the current principles of private road assistance, during the transition period, the City of Riihimäki may exercise discretion in processing applications and deciding on the granting of grants and may deviate from the approved principles for justified reasons. The City's discretion must be fair, equal and just towards private roads that have submitted applications. The transition period will allow road authorities to accumulate a full year of operation before the end of the transition period. The transition period is intended to ensure that private roads have time to organize a functioning road authority. The transition period will end with the decisions to grant grants made in 2026.
The grant application must be submitted within the deadline.
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Under certain conditions, the road authority or, if one has not been established, the road owners can prohibit the use of the road by all or some motor or horse vehicles by non-road owners or limit the use of the road.
If the state or municipality, on the basis of this or another law, jointly assists the road municipality or road partners in the maintenance of the road, the use of the road for traffic other than for the benefit of the road partners may not be prohibited or the road closed during the period to which the assistance applies.
If the state or municipality, on the basis of this or another law, jointly assists the road municipality or road partners in the construction of a road, or if the road is built in whole or in part with the municipality's funds, the road may not be closed for ten years from the withdrawal of the last grant installment or the end of the road work carried out by the municipality.
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If the municipality owns real estate or a public area along a private road, as a road partner it pays its share of road maintenance according to the road unit calculation. The municipality does not manage the maintenance of private roads.
If the municipality owns real estate or a public area along a private road, as a road partner it pays its share of road maintenance according to the road unit calculation. The city's vitality sector and the area of responsibility for land use represent the city in data simulations according to the Real Estate and Redemption and Road Act and in meetings of private road road shareholders. Contact person city surveyor Ari Vettenterä, plot sale(a)riihimaki.fi and/or kirjaamo(a)riihimaki.fi).
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For example, from the Land Survey of Finland's website, the Finnish Road Association's website, the Finnish Railways Agency's website, and www.finlex.fi can be read Private Road Act 560/2018.
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In the last quarter of 2024, the decision-making process in Riihimäki discussed the termination of private road assistance agreements and the reorganization of assistance activities. On 4.11.2024 November 322 (§ 30.9.2025), the City Council decided to terminate all private road assistance agreements with effect from 30.9.2025 September 30.9.2025, to repeal all current administrative decisions regarding private road assistance, and to end the established private road assistance practice in Riihimäki on 1.10.2025 September XNUMX. All types of assistance related to the lighting and maintenance of private roads by the city based on old agreements and decisions will end on XNUMX September XNUMX. In addition, the City Council requested that the technical sector begin preparing a draft decision on new principles for private road assistance so that the new assistance practice must comply with the Private Roads Act and ensure the prerequisites set out in the Private Roads Act. In addition, from October XNUMX, XNUMX, the grant can only be granted if the road authority has applied for the grant and the city has budgeted grant funds each year.
The Technical Committee has approved new principles for assisting private roads:
The Technical Committee held a meeting on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, where it discussed new principles for private road assistance, which are intended to support the maintenance of private roads. The new assistance principles form the guidelines for the principles according to which the city will assist the maintenance of private roads in the future. According to the principles, assistance is granted within the city budget and the assistance must be in the city's interest, equal, fair and economically justified. When granting assistance, the traffic significance, location and nature of each road are taken into account. The assistance to be granted is based on an application made by the private road/road authority.
According to the new principles for private road assistance, the city grants grants in cash, but work grants are possible in some cases. The principles specify clear conditions and criteria for granting the grant. If a work grant is granted for a private road section, no financial maintenance grant will be granted for that private road section.
The city's technical department has planned a transition period to establish the grant practice. The transition period will allow road authorities to accumulate a full year of operation before the end of the transition period. The transition period is intended to ensure that private roads have time to organize a functioning road authority. The transition period will end with the grant granting decisions, which will be made in 2026. During the transition period, the city of Riihimäki may exercise discretion in processing applications and deciding to grant grants and deviate from the approved principles for justified reasons. The city's discretion must be fair, equal and just towards private roads that have submitted applications.
The Technical Committee approved changes and clarifications to the Principles of Assistance for Private Roads, Maintenance Assistance at its meeting on 3 June 2025 (§ 56). The most important change to the Principles of Assistance for Private Roads, Maintenance Assistance guidelines is that a new alternative criterion has been added to the granting of work assistance. In the proposal, work assistance can also be granted to a private road for which the City of Riihimäki organizes regular public transport. In this case, the road serves a wider group of users and has general traffic significance. In such a situation, the road authority can apply for work assistance for maintenance. The criterion does not apply to on-call traffic, but only to pre-scheduled, regular scheduled traffic that is organized by the city.
You can find the principles of assisting with private roads in the City of Riihimäki here:
Principles of assistance for private roads, maintenance assistance
Additional information
Additional information: acting as a road partner through the city's land assets / organizing road communities, questions regarding the activation of road communities; vitality sector (Ari Vettenterä).
For more information on assistance with private roads, contact the Street Maintenance and Urban Engineering Center (Toni Kokkonen or Antti Kitinoja).
For more information on traffic control devices on private roads, please contact traffic planning (Pauli Kölhi, Suvi Poikkeus or Anna-Maija Jämsen).
For further information on private road lighting, please contact the electrical manager (Matti Sirkiä).
Kokkonen Toni
Foreman
Technical industry
Center for urban technology area of responsibility Street services Street maintenance
Kitinoja Antti
Street manager
Technical industry
Center for urban technology, area of responsibility
Poikkeus Suvi
Traffic planner
Technical industry
Area of responsibility for planning and operational management Urban environment planning service area
Kölhi Pauli
Traffic planner
Technical industry
Area of responsibility for planning and operational management Urban environment planning service area
Jämsen Anna-Maija
Responsible traffic planner
Technical industry
Area of responsibility for planning and operational management Urban environment planning service area
Sirkiä Matti
Electrician
Technical industry
City technology center area of responsibility Electrical services Street and traffic lights