Riga plans Altonavas overpass reconstruction at cost above €4 million

Riga plans to demolish the more than century-old, deteriorating Altonavas Street overpass at the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027 and build a new connection, LSM reported, citing the Riga municipality.

The 150-metre bridge near Māras Pond crosses the Riga-Tukums railway line and connects the neighbourhoods of Torņakalns, Bieriņi and Āgenskalns. Vehicle traffic has been banned since December 2024 because of dangerous cracks.

The project has been divided into three stages. In late autumn, the municipality plans to remove the railway overhead contact network at a cost of more than €1 million. Officials said the work, expected to last about a month, would not affect train services.

The old bridge would then be demolished for less than €500,000, while preserving as many of its historic structures as possible. Riga City Council’s Department of Outdoor Space and Mobility said the demolition would be carried out as quickly as possible, but warned that the work would inevitably be noisy.

Construction of the new overpass could begin around the middle of next year and take one to one and a half years. Its estimated cost is about €2.5 million, bringing the total projected cost of the three stages to more than €4 million.

Cyclist Nikita, who lives in Mārupe, told Latvian Radio that he had adjusted his routine by working from home more often and travelling to central Riga outside peak traffic. He said journeys that once took more than an hour had become necessary because traffic was diverted to Liepājas Street and Vienības gatve.