On Wednesday, 2 April, moving of the construction of the central steel span in the traffic overpass from Tvaika Street to the Kundziņsala Isle over the Sarkandaugava River, which began last December, was completed. Representatives of the Riga City Council, the Department of Outdoor Space and Mobility, the Freeport of Riga Authority, the General Partnership "RK link" and the media watched on site moving of the construction of the overpass, which physically connects the two banks of the Sarkandaugava River. Construction of all eight overpasses is currently ongoing at the construction site. The construction of the overpass is planned to be completed in the first half of 2026.
"The Kundziņsala Bridge is a very important component of the Riga inner bypass road, which we are building so that a comfortable living environment for Riga residents can coexist harmoniously in our capital, and the port can fully operate and industrial areas can develop in the city. The continuation of this project is the 4th phase of the Dienvidu Bridge, the construction of which is in full swing. "It has been our firm commitment to build the Riga inner bypass road, and we have consistently fulfilled this commitment," said Vilnis Ķirsis, Chairman of the Riga City Council.
The process of moving the central steel span across the Sarkandaugava River began in December last year, after the construction of the intermediate supports. A bridge span structure was assembled on the bank of the Sarkandaugava River, which was moved across the water area in stages over a period of four months. In accordance with the construction technology, the moving was stopped approximately 80 cm before the two banks were completely connected, in order to further carry out the lowering of the span structure and combine the span with the supports. After this stage, the assembly of permanent formwork and construction work on the roadway slab will begin.
“The erection of the metal span structure and the connection of the two banks is an essential technological stage in the construction of the overpass. This stage requires high precision, careful coordination, and engineering expertise from the builder, as the work takes place in a complex environment – above water, crossing utilities, and shoreline reinforcements. This moment is technically and symbolically significant – we have taken a significant step closer to integrating the Kundziņsala Isle into the Riga transport network. "With this section, we have physically and technically connected both banks, ensuring the continuation of the next phases of the overpass construction," emphasizes Aleksejs Bakanovs, the member of the board of LTD (SIA) "Hanza Construction Group", the managing partner of the General Partnership "RK Link".
The construction project envisages the construction of an 863.5-meter-long overpass that will connect the territory of the Freeport of Riga on the Kundziņsala Isle and Tvaika Street in Sarkandaugava. The new overpass will play an important role in diverting freight traffic away from the city centre by creating bypass roads (connecting to the Daudersala overpass, the Eastern Highway, the Southern Bridge and Čakstes Avenue). The construction of the overpass also means a more orderly environment, which will contribute to people's well-being when moving around Kundziņsala and the Sarkandaugava area.
“The project “Traffic Overpass from Tvaika Street to the Kundziņsala Isle” is the integral part of the development plan of the Port of Riga, creating the Kundziņsala Isle as a modern port area with a digitalized, automated logistics infrastructure that meets the requirements of port customers. We also see it as a location for large, international investment projects, such as the location of wind technology and component manufacturing plants. "The construction of the new overpass will provide an opportunity to increase the competitiveness of port terminals and cargo turnover, while at the same time reducing the impact of the port and cargo transport on the environment and the city's traffic infrastructure, and also to strengthen the growth of the port's industrial areas and increase the potential for attracting new investments in the Port of Riga," Ansis Zeltiņš, the Manager of the Freeport of Riga, emphasizes the importance of the new traffic overpass, adding that, thanks to the investments made in previous years in the modernisation of transport and port infrastructure, Kundziņsala is currently also developing into an active centre for military mobility.
It has already been reported that the local government is implementing the project in cooperation with the Freeport of Riga Authority. The City Council is implementing the construction of the overpass and will ensure its functioning by constructing the Kundziņsala overpass, while the Freeport, as a cooperation partner, is constructing the Kundziņsala part of the site and the connection with the overpass to the flyovers to and from the overpass.
The total cost of the project is €82.6 million. The state budget subsidy is €23 million and the state budget loan is €59.6 million. The project is co-financed by the European Union - the CF funding is €4.5 million (beneficiary: Riga Freeport Authority).
Information was prepared by Lelde Rudzika, Project Coordinator at External Communication Division of Riga City Council, email: lelde.rudzika@riga.lv
