Kundziņsala’s port trucks finally have their own way in. The Kundziņsala overpass opens to traffic today, giving lorries a direct line from Tvaika iela to the island’s terminals without rolling through the city centre.
The new 863.5-metre overpass links Tvaika iela in Sarkandaugava with Kundziņsala and opens to traffic from Sunday 1 November 2026, after an opening ceremony on Friday, according to Riga Council and the Freeport of Riga Authority.
Key facts
Open to traffic from 1 November 2026863.5 metres long, Tvaika iela to KundziņsalaTotal cost: €82.6 million, built by Riga and the Freeport of Riga AuthorityNew port checkpoint Delta 17 at Uriekstes iela 42, open 24/7From 1 January 2027, trucks to and from Kundziņsala’s port terminals use only the overpass, via Delta 17.
What does the Kundziņsala overpass change for Riga?
Fewer trucks where people live. The port’s Kundziņsala checkpoints handle around 360,000 lorries a year, roughly 1,000 a day. With the overpass, the city says freight can reach the port without using central Riga, and the overpass becomes part of the inner bypass alongside the Eastern Highway (Austrumu maģistrāle) and the Daudersala overpass.
Sarkandaugava and Kundziņsala residents are the ones who should feel it most: less noise, vibration and exhaust, and safer streets, the council says. Transport Minister Rihards Kozlovskis called it the end of “eight years of work”. Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs said Riga needs more projects like it.
Can you walk or cycle on the new overpass?
Yes. There’s a lit walking and cycling path, special lane markings for runners, and three lifts with stairs: one on the Tvaika iela side and two on Kundziņsala. Drivers get a separate turn-off to Kundziņsala’s residential area, and the old route over the bridge from Aptiekas iela stays open for residents too.
How do trucks get into the port now?
Until the end of the year, two ways: over the overpass through the new Delta 17 checkpoint (put Uriekstes iela 42 into Waze or Google Maps), or the old way through Delta 1 at Uriekstes iela 9. Both run around the clock. From 1 January 2027, Delta 1 closes to trucks heading to Kundziņsala, and all truck traffic to and from Kundziņsala’s terminals goes over the overpass.
Port workers with permanent passes can also still use Aptiekas iela through Delta 3, weekdays 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Border guards, customs and food and veterinary checks stay where they are, at Uriekstes iela 16, for now.
A rare overpass story where something opens: the Ziepniekkalns overpass shut for three weeks from 30 September for Southern Bridge works. Driving across town this month? Check the November holiday road closures, which start on 9 November.
Eight years in the making. Trucks, this one’s yours.
Photo: M.Strīķis / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped.