The plans within the section include converting the road into four traffic lanes, installing the country’s first “green bridge” for animal migration, tunnel passage, intersection, connecting roads and other road elements.
Connecting the Baltic countries with Poland and other European countries, Via Baltica is of strategic importance for Lithuanian and international communication, making its modernisation one of the country’s top communication infrastructure projects. Actual work is expected to begin on the section between Marijampolė and the Lithuanian-Polish border in the nearest future. “Through rapid implementation of works, we plan to turn this 40 km long section, including bridges, overpasses, connecting roads, into a modern 4-lane highway by the end of 2024, which is two years ahead of the schedule”, says Marius Skuodis, Minister of Transport.
“At the moment, the majority of Via Baltica between Marijampolė and the Polish border has only two traffic lanes. The ever-growing traffic intensity, especially that of trucks, leads to a large number of accidents and difficult traffic conditions. The reconstruction is expected to half the number of traffic accidents”, says Remigijus Lipkevičius, Director of the Lithuanian Road Administration.
It is one of the most intensive traffic sections in Lithuania. The average annual daily traffic intensity in this 40 km stretch reaches up to 10 thousand vehicles per day, of which up to 60% consists of freight transport.
Currently, procurement procedures are underway for the reconstruction of the next section of Via Baltica between 79 km and 85 km. Following the completion of the design stage, procurement for the section between 56.83 km and 72.50 km is also to be announced later this year. The tender for the fourth highway section from 85 km to 97.06 km is expected to be announced between the end of this year and the first half of 2023.
At the end of 2019, after the approval by the Government of the special plan for the reconstruction of Via Baltica (A5 section Kaunas–Marijampolė–Suvalkai between 56.83 km and 97.06 km), land acquisition procedures and design work began.
In total, contract works for approximately 40 km of Via Baltica (between 56.83 km and 97.06 km) are set for completion in December 2024.
Following the reconstruction, the Marijampolė–Polish border section of Via Baltica will be in compliance with the international infrastructure safety and traffic management standards.
By 2030, the entire Via Baltica trunk road within Lithuania is to be reconstructed so as to meet the traffic organisation and safety requirements of the international road network. At the moment, the analysis of several pre-design solutions for A8 Panevėžys–Aristava–Sitkūnai and A10 Panevėžys–Pasvalys–Latvian border (*Riga) is also underway.
