To make travel along the Liepāja highway safer, the road needs to be reconstructed into a four-lane road - this proposal was made by residents on the civil initiative platform 'Mana Balss' back in July 2024. The initiative has already gathered over 10,000 signatures and has been submitted for consideration to the Saeima.
The Ministry of Transport, however, points out that this is currently a financially unfeasible project, as it involves billions of euros (the cost of one kilometer ranges from 7 to 9 million euros). Other projects, including the Riga bypass road, are currently at the top of the priority list.
"A four-lane road would significantly improve the situation and reduce the number of accidents with tragic consequences," said Signe Baltina, the editor-in-chief of the 'ManaBalss' platform, representing the initiators, at a meeting of the parliamentary commission on mandates, ethics, and statements.
The head of the commission, Jānis Vucāns, noted that reconstruction is necessary not only for the Liepāja highway but also for the Ventspils highway. He witnessed a tragic accident that occurred there last Sunday, resulting in the deaths of three people.
Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Transport Girts Dubkevics reported that on December 2 of last year, the government approved a road development strategy until 2040. Its goal is to create a unified, safe, and efficient state road network. The document outlines three priorities: the ability to reach the nearest EU countries from Riga within one hour; the construction of a bypass road around Riga with two carriageways; and a connection that ensures access to the center of any region of Latvia via quality asphalt roads from every populated area with a municipal administration or another significant point for local governance. At the same time, Dubkevics emphasized that having priorities does not mean that funding is available. "We have priorities, but we have no money," he stated, adding that this situation needs to change.
