Government allocates €5.98 million for prefab bridges that could serve during Vanšu Bridge reconstruction

Latvia's government on Tuesday, 10 November, backed a proposal from the Ministry of Transport to allocate €5,984,690 to accelerate and increase deliveries of prefabricated bridge spans for the state material reserves. The structures may become one of the solutions for keeping traffic moving in Riga while the Vanšu Bridge across the Daugava river is rebuilt. Delivery is planned for 2027.

How it would work

Deliveries will be brought forward under an existing contract with Latvijas Valsts ceļi (LVC), the state-owned road company. As a result, both the originally planned and the additional bridge structures will reach the reserves in 2027. Indicatively, 12 prefab bridge sets with a 45-metre span are envisaged. LVC is responsible for organising the deliveries and carrying out the project.

The government also conceptually supported handing the structures to Riga City Council for free use. The municipality would have to demonstrate their technical suitability and cover all costs of using them from its own funds. The structures would keep their status as state material reserves and would have to be returned immediately at the ministry's request.

The ministry says the extra structures will strengthen the state's ability to restore transport links quickly in emergencies, after damage caused by natural disasters, or in other threatening situations.

The prime minister's comments

Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs (AS) told a press conference that the Vanšu Bridge is in poor condition but is a main transport artery affecting the whole country. He said a proposal had earlier been made to rent a bridge for the duration of the repairs, but that would be expensive. According to him, increasing the number of bridges held by LVC would allow the Daugava to be crossed using two lanes, for both light and heavy vehicles.