Vanšu Bridge repairs may be delayed as traffic costs mount

Repairs to Riga’s Vanšu Bridge may have to start later than planned if several key issues remain unresolved, LSM reports. Riga hopes to keep to the proposed schedule, but Latvian State Roads has warned that a temporary bridge may not be built quickly enough.

Up to 60,000 cars cross the bridge each day, while about 20,000 public transport passengers travel across the Daugava. Researchers at the University of Latvia calculated that if journeys took an extra 30 minutes a day, the monthly loss would reach 1.2 million person-hours, with an estimated cost of 12.5 million euros and additional carbon dioxide emissions.

The Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry held a discussion on Tuesday, October 27, with representatives of state institutions, Riga City Council, businesses and researchers. They considered the potential effects of the repairs on traffic and the economy, as well as the feasibility of a temporary bridge and other alternatives.

Guntis Āboltiņš-Āboliņš, chair of the chamber’s construction and real estate committee, said the estimated cost of time spent in traffic had surprised business representatives and residents, and had changed their view of infrastructure priorities.

The chamber said the Finance Ministry had confirmed that funding for a temporary bridge would be available. It said the project would need to be treated as an emergency, with less bureaucracy, national-level priority status and a clear process to speed up studies and procurement.

The city hopes to maintain the planned repair timetable, while the feasibility and timing of the temporary bridge remain unresolved.