“This road, known as the Via Baltica route, linking Finland with the Czech Republic, has, in many respects, gained significant importance. It is in essence one of Lithuania's main transportation arteries, directly impacting our trade and commercial relations with other countries as well as tourism industry. Now this road has taken on some new colours. We can call it the road of solidarity, because along this road refugees fleeing the war came to Lithuania, exactly this road is being used to transport our support to Ukraine, this is the road that best reflects Lithuania’s outward-looking trajectory and the orientation towards the West,” the Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė addressed the audience.
The Via Baltica route between Marijampolė and the Lithuanian-Polish border is currently undergoing the largest road infrastructure construction works since the restoration of Lithuania's independence. The entire 40 km long stretch of road will be reconstructed into a 4-lane motorway to accommodate both civil and military mobility needs.
“As work gets underway today, we will see a sight not seen since the restoration of independence: the construction of a new motorway on the Via Baltica route between Marijampolė and the Polish border will take place simultaneously along a stretch of almost 30 km. I am delighted to see this longest construction site on the country's roads come to fruition and I wish for this project to be a rapid and successful one,” tells the Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis.
The nearly 16 km-long stretch of road currently under reconstruction is located between Marijampolė and Skardupiai village. The road will be converted into four traffic lanes. It has been planned to build about 45 km of connecting roads, to provide safer intersections of different traffic levels, 5 viaducts, 3 tunnel passages, to separate the local and transit traffic flows, to build a parking lot for heavy vehicles, to implement environmental protection measures, to construct 4 bridges over the Šešupė River, and to ensure access to the territory of the Marijampolė FEZ. In addition, at the intersection of Via Baltica route and the A7 Marijampolė–Kybartai 6motorway, a modern car park will be built on an area of about 11 hectares, which will include separate zones for freight, light vehicles, electric cars, and the creation of the necessary recreational infrastructure. This is the longest of the four stretches of road where the work is either ongoing or is being planned between Marijampolė and the Polish border.
Since the last year, two sections of the Via Baltica route A5 Kaunas - Marijampolė - Suwałki have been under reconstruction from 72.50 to 85 km between Skardupiai village in the municipality of Marijampolė and Smalninkai village in the municipality of Kalvarija. These stretches of road will also have 4 lanes, with intersections of different traffic levels, bridges and tunnels, and “green bridges” for animal migration. This stretch of road is scheduled for completion this year.
In addition, a procurement for the fourth stretch of the motorway, from 85 km to 97.06 km, i.e. up to the Polish border, is expected to be announced shortly this year. The entire 40 km section of Via Baltica (from 56.83 to 97.06 km) is scheduled for completion in 2025.
According to Marius Švaikauskas, the CEO of the Lithuanian Road Administration, the reconstruction of the Via Baltica stretch from Marijampolė to the Polish border has already gained momentum and is one of the largest projects in the company's history.
“We are already preparing for the reconstruction of another section of the Via Baltica, i.e. from Panevėžys to the Latvian border: pre-project solutions are being finalised and territorial planning procedures are due to begin. We are making every effort to ensure that by 2030 the Via Baltica transport corridor through Lithuania complies with international safety and traffic management standards, and that those travelling through Lithuania will be able to do so in an even safer and more comfortable way,” says Švaikauskas.
The Via Baltica motorway between Marijampolė and the Polish border is one of the busiest stretches of traffic in Lithuania. On average, almost 14,000 cars a day use the route, of which up to half are freight vehicles. Once completed, the reconstruction will bring the road up to international standards, providing a safe and convenient link to Kaunas, as well as to Vilnius, for travelling to Poland and onwards to Western European countries.
