Public hearing held on Bauska district high-speed road route to Lithuanian border
Plans for a 14-kilometre-plus high-speed road from the Bauska bypass to the Lithuanian border in Latvia's Bauska district have drawn both support and concern. Residents and farmers in Cerauksts worry about land acquisition and property access; objections can be filed until 13 November.
A high-speed road is planned in Latvia's Bauska district, running from the Bauska bypass to the Lithuanian border and replacing the current A7 highway. More than a hundred residents attended a public hearing at the Cerauksts community centre. Some back the project, while others are worried about land acquisition, access to their properties and changes to their living environment, according to the regional broadcaster Zemgale regional television. No final decision on the route has been made.
What is planned
The state-owned company Latvijas Valsts ceļi (Latvian State Roads) plans to replace the two existing lanes along roughly 14.3 kilometres with four, two in each direction. A central divider will separate opposing traffic, and the design speed will be 120 kilometres per hour, lower in some places such as near interchanges. The nominal width of the carriageway is planned at 26 metres. The road is intended as part of the EU's TEN-T transport network.
Two route options are being assessed. The first is a new alignment around the village of Cerauksts, mostly across farmland. The second widens the existing A7 through the village, which would require solutions for safe crossing by residents.
Residents' concerns
The high-speed road will not have ordinary junctions with left turns, so access to homes and fields will be via parallel roads and interchanges. Farmers want these roads to suit combine harvesters, tractors and heavy loads. One participant said they would lose a large part of their farmland. Evija Skrastiņa, a senior consultant at Estonian, Latvian & Lithuanian Environment, said no house would be expropriated.
The eight pairs of bus stops are to be relocated to parallel roads. A pedestrian bridge or tunnel is planned in Cerauksts. Pedestrians and cyclists will not be permitted on the high-speed road.
Environmental impact and next steps
The study area covers 237 land parcels in the first option and 278 in the second, but that does not mean all will be expropriated. The environmental impact assessment will also look at the Cerauksts roadside birch avenue, protected habitats, noise and air pollution.
Residents can submit written proposals and objections to the State Environmental Service until 13 November.
