Once the contracts signed by the Lithuanian Road Administration and the planners come into force today, design work will begin on an almost 9 km long stretch of regional road of national significance No. 2511 Lazdijai–Galiniai from Lazdijai to the Lithuanian-Polish border.
Public procurement procedures are also currently under way for the design of the reconstruction of two more border roads – the entirety of regional road of national significance No. 2654 Senoji Radiškė–Naujieji Alksnėnai to the Polish border in Kalvarija district, and the stretch of national road No. 135 Lazdijai–Akmeniai from km 9.0 to the border with Poland in Lazdijai district.
The aforementioned roads, which can be used to cross the Lithuanian-Polish border, are in poor condition, narrow, and often unsafe, especially in the dark or in winter. In reconstructing these roads, the road surface will be replaced and road safety measures will be introduced. This will improve traffic conditions for both transit and local transport, and will ensure safer and more convenient connectivity between the two countries.
“Our border roads and checkpoints are like our country’s calling card. The situation on the Lithuanian-Polish border truly is poor, which is why we have consulted with Poland and given the matter considerable attention so that the Lithuanian Road Administration prepares the road improvement projects as soon as possible; funding was allocated for this”, says Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis.
“A quality and properly planned border road infrastructure is an important priority of the state in order to create a modern Lithuanian border infrastructure and a coherent image of the border area that can represent our country”, says Road Administration CEO Marius Švaikauskas.
Once the technical projects are prepared for these roads, procurements for contract works will be announced. If the public procurement procedures go smoothly, the contract works could start in 2024.
The reconstruction of border roads of national significance was provided for in the memorandum signed in 2020 by the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure and the Lithuanian Ministry of Transport and Communications on cooperation in improving the road infrastructure of the border region. This memorandum was aimed at developing the infrastructure of the border regions so that all roads on both sides of the common border are of high quality, safe, and meet technical requirements.