Riga to build anti-mobility barriers during Friday exercise

Riga’s municipality and partner organisations will build anti-mobility engineering structures on Ojāra Vācieša Street on Friday, LSM reported, citing the municipality. The barriers are designed to slow the movement of opposing forces in an urban environment.

The exercise will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the section of Ojāra Vācieša Street between Uzvaras Boulevard and the Mārupīte pedestrian bridge. The most active practical work is scheduled between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Using heavy machinery, specialists will construct various obstacles from concrete blocks, anti-tank metal hedgehogs, logs and other elements. They will also test dividing the area into functional zones and organising the safe movement of people.

For safety reasons, the exercise location will be divided into training, safety and restricted-access zones. Organisers said the exercise had been planned in advance and that residents had no reason to be alarmed.

Lieutenant Colonel Ēriks Keisters, commander of the National Guard’s 1st Riga Brigade, said engineering obstacles could hinder an opponent’s movement and give defenders more time and advantages. He added that constructing them in an urban environment required coordinated action by the municipality, the National Guard and other partners.

Vehicle and pedestrian traffic on the specified section of Ojāra Vācieša Street will be restricted from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on August 7. Residents have been asked to follow road signs, barriers and organisers’ instructions and to plan alternative routes in advance.

About 15 participants will take part in the practical work, while around 50 invited observers from state and municipal institutions will watch the exercise. It is organised and coordinated by Riga’s Civil Protection Administration in cooperation with the Engineering Company of the National Guard’s 1st Riga Brigade.