Riga weighs replacing all cables on Vanšu Bridge

Riga could begin rebuilding Vanšu Bridge within months, but the city has not decided whether to replace all its stay cables or only those above the river, LSM reported. Traffic-disrupting work is forecast to begin next autumn.

The contract requires the replacement of all cables above the Daugava River and the removal of one cable on the shore side for an expert assessment. If the assessment shows that more shore-side cables need replacing, the work could take longer and cost more.

The Riga Municipality is modelling traffic flows and assessing whether to build a temporary bridge. City officials hope to cover the temporary bridge’s costs from the state budget. The contractor has said it would make more sense to replace all the cables in one stage.

The current contract, worth nearly 70 million euros, was awarded to the Vanšu Bridge suppliers’ consortium for design and construction. A previous tender ended without a contract after the sole bid came in at 97.5 million euros. The bridge is 45 years old.