New bridge completed in Zalves Parish over Zalvīte River
Construction of a new bridge was finished in May, costing nearly one million euros; the facility is being handed over. The old bridge was in poor condition and caused flood risks.
In Zalves Parish, a new bridge has been completed over the Zalvīte River on the local road Lone—Zalves Mežniecība (V793). Construction began in autumn 2024 and finished on 25 May this year. The handover process is currently underway, with total costs exceeding €919,000, reaching approximately one million euros.
Before construction, the existing bridge, built in 1989, was in very poor technical condition. The state roads company Latvijas Valsts ceļi (LVC) found that the masonry walls of the abutments had partially collapsed, water seeped through the deck, damaging the roadway. Beams had cracks and reinforcement corrosion, reducing load capacity. In recent years, vehicles heavier than 3.5 tonnes were banned and traffic was restricted to one lane. The railings and barriers also did not meet safety standards.
Since renovating the old bridge was not technically or economically justified, LVC chose to demolish it and build a new one to maintain mobility in the area. A key feature of the new bridge is its longer span – 17.08 metres compared to the previous 5.9 metres. This significantly improves water flow, reducing flood risk that previously caused a “bottleneck” effect during high water. A hydrological calculation was carried out, considering the catchment area of about 20 square kilometres of drained agricultural land.
To ensure easier access, approximately 125 metres of road between the new bridge and the regional road Sērene—Kalnieši (P86) were realigned and levelled, allowing heavy vehicles to pass more easily even in bad weather. Although traffic intensity on this route is low – an average of 174 vehicles per day in 2021 – LVC emphasises that even less busy bridges must be safe and their closure would significantly restrict local residents' mobility.
