Estimated Cost of Conserving the Rail Baltica Bridge Support over the Daugava 0 14

The company reported that the construction of the overpass over Lastadijas and Krasta streets was completed in the first quarter of 2025. This engineering structure is 140 meters long, with one of its supports built in the Daugava, and the bridge span passing over the river.

EDzL explained that not all bridges need to be conserved, but conservation is necessary at the point where the bridge span passes over the second support, or the so-called open part of the span. Conservation is necessary as the continuation of the construction of the Riga Ring is planned for the second phase of the Rail Baltica project — after 2030. Thus, EDzL provided the Ministry of Transport (SM) with information on the costs of conserving the completed part of the bridge, while simultaneously requesting the ministry to secure funding to begin project development.

Preliminary expenses include the development of the conservation project for the completed engineering structure and expenses for conservation work, and will also depend on the type of conservation. The costs of conserving the overpass will amount to approximately 1.1–2.1% of the construction costs of the overpass, which totaled 26 million euros.

The project development is planned to take place in the first quarter of this year. After the conservation project is developed, the specific costs of conservation work will be known.

Conservation will ensure the unchanged condition of the structure, and supervision will be carried out by the contractor and the construction inspector (FIDIC engineer). According to the regulations in force in Latvia, in the event of a suspension of construction work, the conservation of unfinished engineering structures is mandatory if there is a risk of damage to the structures or a threat to safety, the company emphasized.

Failure to carry out conservation increases the risk that when construction work resumes, dismantling or strengthening of damaged structures will be required, which could create a significant additional financial burden on the state budget compared to timely conservation, the company highlighted.

As previously reported, the Ministry of Transport (MT) instructed EDzL to submit a cost estimate for the conservation of the Rail Baltica support in the Daugava and the suspension of other works in the Riga hub by Friday, January 23. Conservation is necessary as construction work is suspended and the structure must be protected, with the construction of the bridge planned to resume only after 2030.

Prime Minister Evika Silina (JV) indicated that the unfinished support will be the responsibility of the project management, and an investigation is underway. EDzL previously confirmed that the support will be conserved this year.

According to RB Rail, the costs for the first phase of Rail Baltica in the Baltics could amount to 14.3 billion euros, of which 5.5 billion euros are in Latvia, although potential savings of up to 500 million euros are possible through the optimization of technical solutions, as well as other savings.

The total project costs, according to the cost-benefit analysis in the Baltic countries, could reach 23.8 billion euros. In the previous cost-benefit analysis in 2017, it was estimated that the project would cost a total of 5.8 billion euros.

The Rail Baltica project involves the creation of a European standard railway line from Tallinn to the Lithuania-Poland border, so that the Baltic countries can be connected by rail to other European countries.

A new European gauge (1435 mm) railway line is planned to be built in the Baltic countries, stretching 870 kilometers with a maximum train speed of 240 kilometers per hour. EDzL is a state-owned capital company with a share capital of 4.445 million euros.