Pictures of people and trucks laying asphalt over snow-covered roads in Russia have left many scratching their heads - including Russians.

Pictures of people and trucks laying asphalt over snow-covered roads in Russia have left many scratching their heads - including Russians.

Several snapshots of the seemingly futile activity were posted on the website of English Russia with the headline, ‘Snow Has Fallen? Time to Lay Asphalt!”

Given their range and number, the practice doesn’t appear to be either an isolated incident or an emergency measure.

It could, however, help explain why, according to a recent World Economic Forum report, the country’s roads ranked 125 out of 139.

Considering how bad the weather is in some areas of the country, repaving snow-covered roads could be out of necessity.

Let’s face it, while a lot of people joke that their city has two seasons – winter and road construction, many Russian towns probably wish they had so many options.

Those with a more cynical bent could point to the country’s issues surrounding infrastructure fund misappropriations.

Some might even be tempted to call it a government ploy to funnel money into particular pockets.

Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see if any of those roads hold up over time. Who knows, they could be onto something.