Work has begun in Riga to create an intersection of the Eastern Highway through Brivibas Street, said Kristaps Kauliņš, Director of the Department of External Space and Mobility of the Riga City Council, in an interview with the LETA agency.
In the city budget for 2026, funds of 300,000 euros are allocated for the start of the design process. This year, a procurement has been announced for a preliminary study, during which several options will be evaluated — a grade-separated interchange, a tunnel, or an overpass. This is why a consultant is being engaged to conduct the assessment, as each solution has its own advantages and disadvantages.
“Speaking about the tunnel, it is important to understand that there are many challenges. There are quite a few engineering communications under Brivibas Street, and either we need to go very deep beneath them or look for other engineering solutions. That is why it makes sense to act sequentially — to conduct the study, assess, and understand the technical possibilities of various options,” explained the department director.
After the preliminary study, a decision will be made on the choice of option, and a procurement will be announced. There are two possible options — a separate procurement for design or a procurement based on the principle of 'design and build'. This will depend on available funding and other related plans, as the local government has other projects in the same area, such as the need to reconstruct the VEF Bridge.
Currently, a consultation with interested suppliers for the development of the construction project for the VEF Bridge has also been announced, with the next step being the procurement itself.
Kauliņš emphasized that the construction of the VEF Bridge will be a serious challenge. Even at the design stage, it is necessary to consider detour routes to ensure sufficient mobility in the city.
