Lack of clarity about closed Pārdaugava bridge demolition plans / Article

The intention is to demolish the bridge and build a new one in the next few years at a cost of around €2.6 million.

The bridge, over which the residents of Bieriņi, Atgāzene, and Mārupe, who now congest other roads in Pārdaugava, used to cross every day, is 114 years old. The Altonavas Street overpass has not been repaired for many years, as it was due to be demolished with the development of the Rail Baltica railway project. The so-called “project of the century” is not progressing as planned, and it is not at all known when the European-width rails will run through the Torņakalns district.

The long uncertainty for the old bridge has been fatal. Riga City Council says it is no longer possible to rebuild it. Valdis Gavars, a coalition deputy from the National Alliance/Latvian Association of Regions faction and head of the Tornakalns Development Association, tried to get the expert opinion to be published but was refused by his colleagues.

“We were told at a meeting with the neighborhood associations that there was a crack. When I asked exactly where the crack was, while they were thinking what to say, they said: “Yes, it sort of runs along one side.” I couldn’t quite understand,” says Gavars.

Latvijas Radio also tried to get the expert opinion, but was told by the municipality that it had to be applied for in good time, that it had to be justified, and that it had to wait for the department’s assessment.

Olafs Pulks (New Unity), head of the council’s Traffic and Transport Committee, said he had no objection to publishing the opinion immediately, but he had no contract with the company that inspected the bridge, Inženierbūve Ltd.

“I have not signed that contract either, which I understand contains some restricted information due to the fact that it is a critical infrastructure construction. That is determined by the Department, not by me. I have no objection,” says Pulks.

Ainārs Paeglītis, head of the company “Inženierbūve”, tells Latvian Radio that they have prepared a normal opinion, which does not contain any confidential information: “There is nothing to hide. I personally do not know. I can’t comment to you because I don’t work for the Riga City Council.”

The municipality intends to demolish the old bridge and replace it with a new one within two years, at an approximate cost of €2.6 million.

“Well, it’s comical that people after the 1905 Revolution build something that people who put Tesla rockets into space don’t know how to fix. It’s touching,” says motor journalist Pauls Timrots.

He points out that the quickest thing that can be done is to rebuild the level crossing on Altonava Street towards Vienības Avenue.

“We would get smoother, more dispersed traffic in that area as a whole, and it would be very inexpensive. But I think the left turns on [Kārļa] Ulmaņa Avenue at Vienības Avenue should be eliminated, and those who want to go from the Salu Bridge to Jelgava would go to the Ulmanis Avenue bridge and there turn around at the bottom into the viaduct and make a right turn three times and go back to Jelgava,” Timrots sees the solution.

The municipality wants to build a level crossing at Ojāra Vācieša Street. But the Ministry of Transport, which is responsible for the safety of the population, does not agree. However, the Riga City Council will try to convince the ministry. If that fails, the capital plans to open the level crossing at the Children’s Hospital on Robežu Street.

Tell us about a mistake