valtatietä

Valtatietä is a term used in Finnish to refer to a national highway. These highways form the primary road network in Finland, connecting major cities and facilitating long-distance travel and freight transport. Valtatiet are typically high-quality roads designed for significant traffic volumes, often featuring multiple lanes and high speed limits. They are maintained by the Finnish Transport Agency, Traficom.

The numbering system for valtatiet typically starts from 1 and goes up to 9. For example, Valtatie 1 connects Helsinki to Turku, and Valtatie 4 is a major north-south route stretching from Helsinki to Utsjoki in Lapland. These roads are crucial for the Finnish economy and social cohesion, enabling efficient movement of people and goods across the country. While the term specifically denotes national highways, it is sometimes used colloquially to refer to any major, high-speed road.