Take a ride across frozen sea on Estonia's ice road

HIIUMAA, Estonia (AP) — Temperatures in northern Europe have been so low that citizens of Estonia can now drive across a 20-kilometer (12 1/2-mile) stretch of frozen sea linking the country's two main islands.

The so-called “ice road” connecting the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, located in western Estonia between the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga, was officially opened on Sunday with a line of cars waiting to use it that afternoon.

Authorities decided to open the ice road after locals had spontaneously began driving across the frozen sea, exposing themselves to serious risks. Ferries had struggled to keep up regular service in the frozen sea following weeks of temperatures dropping to minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit).

People living on the smaller island of Hiiumaa, with a population of 9,000, travel to Saaremaa, population 31,000, for shopping, a cup of coffee, or to drop off kids at school. Getting to the larger island also ensures connection to mainland Estonia.

While opening the ice road came out of necessity, Hergo Tasuja, the mayor of Hiiumaa, says it's also “part of our culture.”

“For generations and generations, local people who live here, especially those who live near the sea, swim and use boats in the summertime,” Tasuja told The Associated Press. “And in winter, it's in their blood to go to the sea" and step out on the ice, he said.

The “ice road” is essentially a marked corridor on the frozen sea where specialists have determined the ice is thick enough to sustain the weight of driving cars.

Yet preparing the road is not easy, said Marek Koppel, a road maintenance supervisor at Verston Eesti, the Estonian construction company in charge of building and managing the “ice road." Workers have to measure ice thickness every 100 meters (328 feet) to determine the areas with more than 24 centimeters (9 1/2 inches) of ice, the minimum required for safety. They also smooth over ridged ice and cracks. Weather conditions and the solidity of ice are monitored around the clock and the route amended accordingly.

A vehicle cannot be heavier than 2.5 tons (5,500 pounds) and it has to drive either below 20 kph (12.4 mph), or between 40 and 70 kph (25 and 43 mph) — anything in between can create a vibration that damages the ice. Cars are not allowed to stop and need to maintain a safe distance from one other. Passengers cannot wear seat belts and doors must be easy to open, to allow for fast exit in case of an accident.

“The road was pretty good, it was easy to ride,” said Alexei Ulyvanov, who lives in nearby Tallinn and traveled to the islands to show his children “that it's possible to ride a car over the sea.”

According to Tasuja, an “ice road” was last used to connect the islands some eight years ago. Since then, the winters have been too warm.

Verston, the construction company, said authorities contracted them to open two more ice routes this week, this time linking mainland Estonia to two smaller islands.