The largest independent Lithuanian road infrastructure development project is scheduled to be completed next year, the longest, most technically complex and the largest number of new constructions section of Via Baltica, opened today, has been undergoing modernization works for just over a year.
“Not so long ago we buried a capsule in this stretch and today, driving here, I wondered if it really could have been just last year. However, in fact, in such a short time, just over a year, it was possible to complete a large and complex phase of a strategically important project. It may seem to some that the entire section, 40 kilometers of road, is not so much, but in fact it is a huge object, which at one time became perhaps the largest construction site in Lithuania, and I am very glad that it did not become any “project of the century”. We can already see its final finish very close, when residents, businesses and visiting tourists will be able to enjoy qualitatively different travel and work conditions – the kind we have not had until now. I sincerely thank everyone who contributed and continues this very important work”, said Prime Minister I. Šimonytė.
The longest and most difficult section from Marijampolė to the village of Skardupia, which is 16 km long, was opened today. At the end of last year, two sections with a total length of 12.5 km were completed and opened on this road. The last part of the road, located at the Lithuanian-Polish border and the Suwalki corridor, will be completed and renovated next year, and intensive work on it has already started this summer. During the reconstruction of the “Via Baltica” road from Marijampolė to the Lithuanian-Polish border, a total of more than 40 km of the road section will be modernized.
“Via Baltica construction works of an unprecedented scale are already at the finish line. The third, longest and most technically complex section of “Via Baltica” has been completed, only the last section remains to be overcome, where work has been ongoing since the summer and will be completed next year. We are very close to the final goal – soon Warsaw, Kaunas and Vilnius will be connected by a highway of the highest level and in terms of traffic safety, and this strategic connection of ours to the West will change fundamentally. This is just one of the steps in building a highway through the Baltic countries. Special plans for the reconstruction of “Via Baltica” from Kaunas to Latvia will also be started this year”, said Minister of Transport Marius Skuodis.
In the newest section of Via Baltica, which was opened today, a large-scale new infrastructure of roads and their structures was built in just over a year: 5 viaducts, 4 bridges, 3 tunnels, 10 roundabouts, 45 km of connecting roads, the largest and most modern rest area in Lithuania so far and parking lot.
The renovation of the Via Baltica road is the largest and fastest road modernization project ever implemented in Lithuania due to the scope of the infrastructure being created and the pace of the work being carried out. Naturally, its implementation requires responsible, consistent and careful planning and professionalism, which, I am glad, our team managed to achieve. The modernization of “Via Baltica” is a particularly important investment in increasing traffic safety, strengthening the country’s military mobility links and creating a favorable environment for the growth of the country’s economy,” emphasized Via Lietuva CEO Marius Švaikauskas.
The cost of the newly completed and modernized Via Baltica section (from 56.83 to 72.50 km) is 223.6 million. EUR with VAT. The works were carried out by UAB “Fegda”, which won the public works competition announced by “Via Lietuva”. The project was financed by the budget of the Republic of Lithuania, the temporary solidarity contribution of banks and the European Union’s structural funds.
“This is a record-breaking infrastructure project both in terms of financial value and the volume of work performed in such a short time: the longest section of the highway in the history of independent Lithuania has been built under one contract. During the reconstruction works, the companies of our group also used a record amount of asphalt produced at the factory of our group of companies in Marijampolė – a total of more than 400 thousand. tons”, notes J. Jablonskis, head of Fegda.
After the modernization of the 40 km section of Via Baltica from Marijampolė to the border, a total of 7 bridges, 10 viaducts, 9 tunnel passages, 25 roundabouts, 2 green bridges for animals (the first of their kind in Lithuania), 3 tunnel passages for animals, 2 rest areas will be built on this road and parking lots (so far the most modern in Lithuania), 18.9 km of acoustic wall and even 90.5 km of connecting roads.
The total value of the modernization of “Via Baltica” from Marijampolė to the Lithuanian-Polish border reaches more than 537 million. EUR with VAT.
The “Via Baltica” highway is particularly important for the economy of Poland and the Baltic States, the mobility of the population and the military mobility that ensures the security of Lithuania and its allies.
“Via Baltica” is a trans-European network road from Warsaw to Tallinn, the total length of which is 970 km, of which 269 km are on the territory of Lithuania. It is a strategic transport artery connecting Western Europe and the Baltic countries. The part of “Via Baltica” passing through Lithuania must be modernized in 2030. The section from Kaunas to Marijampole was renewed in 2018. In the near future, it is planned to start the procedures for the special plan and land acquisition for public needs for the remaining part of “Via Baltica” from Kaunas to the Lithuanian-Latvian border.
“Via Lietuva” takes care of more than 21,000 km of state roads, more than 1,500 bridges, viaducts, tunnels and more than 5,000 km of pedestrian and bicycle paths. The company aims for the country’s road infrastructure to be constantly developed, updated and modernized, to create added value for the state, its residents and to become a positive change and a visiting card for the country’s guests.
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