The extension of the tram line in Kengarags is an important project for the development of Riga's public transport infrastructure: it is the first tram line built after nearly 40 years, writes Latvijas Avīze.
The project includes the construction of a section of public transport line approximately 2.5 km long, including the extension of the tram line (~2.2 km) from the existing terminus of route No. 7 to Vishkyu Street, a new interchange, the extension of trolleybus route No. 15 (~300 m) to the newly created terminus, the construction of a single modern transport hub on Vishkyu Street, integrating tram, trolleybus, and electric bus, as well as the construction of a dispatch building and necessary infrastructure for passenger comfort.
Alongside this project, a bicycle path is being constructed along the entire extended line.
"All the largest and technically complex construction works on the extended line of tram No. 7 have already been completed, and in percentage terms, it can be said that about 98% of the planned work has been done. Currently, work is ongoing inside the dispatch building, the construction of infrastructure is being completed, and the area is being landscaped," said Baiba Bartashevicha-Feldmane, a representative of the capital's public transport company "Rīgas satiksme." "We started the first test runs on the newly constructed route in mid-March, checking both the quality of the track and the operation of the contact network and other infrastructure related to traffic management, which we reported on social media. Test runs are still ongoing now, with a gradual expansion of the scale of testing and the inclusion of trams of different models."
However, she did not mention a specific date for the opening of the extended tram line.
The project is being implemented under the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Mechanism Plan, so the deadlines are strictly set, and no deviations from them are allowed, said the representative of "Rīgas satiksme."
"The extension of tram line No. 7 is planned to be put into operation by the end of May this year," she added.
After the new tram line is put into operation, both new low-floor trams and older high-floor trams will operate on this section in Kengarags.
