Residents of Torņakalns complain about the dangerous situation near the construction site, where pedestrians with children and strollers have to either step onto the roadway or take a long detour. The Riga City Council claims that the closure has been officially approved.
In the Riga neighborhood of Torņakalns, the sidewalk near a construction site has been periodically blocked for over a month, forcing parents with strollers to walk on the road or take a long detour. This was reported by the program Bez Tabu (TV3).
A local resident, Māja, a mother of two children, contacted the program's editorial office, stating that she walks this route to and from kindergarten every day.
According to her, the situation has become regular and causes a feeling of insecurity.
“Pedestrians with strollers have to walk in the middle of the road or take a 10-minute detour,” the woman said.
When the Bez Tabu film crew arrived at the site, the lift was no longer blocking the sidewalk; however, the machinery was working nearby — at the construction site of an apartment building on the opposite side of the street. The builders reported that the restrictions could continue for about three more weeks.
The situation is made particularly problematic by the fact that the sidewalk on the other side of the street is also inaccessible — there are works underway for the construction of a heating pipeline. As a result, pedestrians are effectively left without a safe route.
The society Pilsēta cilvēkiem called the situation unacceptable. A representative of the organization, Kārlis Krekiš, reminded that back in 2019, the prosecutor's office had already drawn the attention of the Riga City Council to similar problems.
“Everything is built on the hope that people will somehow find a way around and somehow it will work out,” he stated.
According to him, this is especially dangerous for parents with children, elderly people, and those with limited mobility.
However, the Riga City Council emphasizes that the sidewalk closure has been officially approved. Municipal representative Ieva Grīsle explained that the construction company received prior permission to place heavy machinery on the sidewalk up to two times a week for several hours. Residents are advised to use a detour route of about 650 meters.
The council also stated that after the completion of the heating pipeline construction, the opposite sidewalk will again be accessible to pedestrians.
The issue of pedestrian safety near construction sites in Riga has been discussed for several years. Parents with strollers, cyclists, and people with disabilities feel the problem particularly acutely, as even a temporary sidewalk closure can significantly complicate movement around the city.
The situation in Torņakalns has once again shown how vulnerable pedestrians remain in the urban environment when construction works effectively deprive them of a safe route.
