Construction firm refuses to pay €42,000 in environmental damages for Kaunas bridge project

The company building a pedestrian and cycling bridge over the Neris River in Kaunas has refused to voluntarily compensate for environmental damage totalling €42,452, as calculated by environmental authorities, LRT reports.

The Environmental Protection Department (AAD) confirmed that Kaunas’ environmental division issued a damage assessment to Autokausta, the construction firm, on 7 April, demanding payment for harm caused to the river’s natural hydrological system. However, the company rejected both the assessment and the scientific findings underpinning it.

“By 20 May 2026, no evidence has been received that the company paid the required compensation within the set deadline,” the AAD stated. “During the administrative investigation, the firm submitted a written response refusing to acknowledge the damage or compensate for it, also disputing the experts’ conclusions.”

The department has indicated it will pursue legal action, noting that the damage assessment provides grounds for a civil claim in court.

Police decline to open pre-trial investigation

Earlier, environmental authorities had requested that Kaunas police launch a pre-trial investigation into potential illegal dredging of the Neris riverbed during bridge construction. Police declined, and though the AAD appealed, prosecutors upheld the decision.

Officials clarified that while the refusal to investigate does not negate the environmental harm, the case may still be addressed through administrative penalties and compensation claims.

Scientific report confirms riverbed alterations

The damage stems from construction work in a Natura 2000 protected area, where experts found the company exceeded planned activities and performed unauthorised dredging. A study by Vilnius University’s Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences confirmed the work altered the river’s hydrodynamics, bed relief, and shoreline.

The AAD concluded that these changes caused €42,400 in environmental damage by disrupting the river’s natural flow.