Geological surveys are being conducted on the Rail Baltic Pärnu-Ikla route. These surveys help to understand the soil conditions and whether it is suitable for building the railway.
Märt Maadla, project manager of Rail Baltic Estonia, says that smaller surveys have been conducted earlier. Now, deeper boreholes are being made to get more precise information on how to build the railway.
Workers are using core drilling. They take soil samples and send them to the laboratory. The surveys are being conducted along the entire route, up to the Latvian border.
10 km from Pärnu in Latvia, boreholes are made every 200 meters. One borehole takes about a day to complete.
Surveys are also being conducted near the Pärnu River, where the railway bridge is planned. The surveys will show whether it is possible to build a bridge there.
The surveys will continue until spring. Workers send plans to landowners where they want to make boreholes. They are waiting for the landowners' consent.
Märt Maadla hopes that the construction of the Pärnu-Ikla section can start next year. Construction on the Tootsi-Pärnu section is already underway.