Vanšu Bridge Repair: Possible Closure to Private Cars and New Park & Ride Lots
Riga City Council considers closing the Vanšu Bridge to private traffic during repairs, while planning new Park & Ride facilities on both banks of the Daugava to ease congestion.
In an interview with TV3's "900 seconds," Riga Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs revealed that the municipality is evaluating several traffic management options for the upcoming Vanšu Bridge renovation. One scenario under consideration involves completely closing the bridge to private vehicles during the construction period, allowing access only to emergency and public transport.
To offset the inconvenience, the city plans to establish new Park & Ride parking lots on both sides of the Daugava River. Potential locations include areas near the Press House, the Olimpia shopping center, the BT 1 exhibition hall in Ķīpsala, the Ministry of Agriculture's territory in Pārdaugava, and possibly the Spice shopping center parking lots.
Construction is not expected to begin until late next year, leaving time for thorough planning and public communication. Kleinbergs emphasized that the council is working on comprehensive solutions, including consulting businesses most affected by the traffic changes. Starting in autumn, mobile data on residents' movement patterns will be collected to inform better decisions.
Earlier, the city signed a contract with the consortium "Vanšu tilts" (comprising Hanza Construction Group, Tilts, and Baltijas mākslīgo būvju projektēšanas birojs "Vektors T") for the bridge's design and construction at €69.8 million (excluding VAT). Another bidder challenged the award at the Procurement Monitoring Bureau, but the complaint was dismissed.
Funding is allocated per year: up to €6.7 million in 2026, up to €42 million in 2027, and up to €35.76 million in 2028. The project includes replacing the asphalt pavement, constructing separate pedestrian and cycling paths, replacing the cables (total weight 385.5 tonnes), and installing protective sheaths over 3,084 meters. The "design and build" method will be used, where one contractor handles both the design and construction.
