In 2022, the Road Administration will continue the grand projects already started. New initiatives are also planned
The State Enterprise (hereinafter – the Road Administration) informs about some of the most important works in 2022 on the roads of national importance. Design work is carried out all year round, while contract work can be carried out at the end of the technological break, that is, from March 15, if the weather conditions are suitable for that.
In 2022, the reconstruction of the middle bridge, so called the A. Meškinis bridge, over the river Neris, which is located near the new bridge, the construction of which is nearing the end, and near the overpass over Jonavos Steeet, is planned in the section between the kilometres 99.03 and 100.47 of the highway A1 Vilnius–Kaunas–Klaipėda.
Next year, intensive work of the management of the transport hub near Vievis will be carried out (the intersection of different levels (Paparčiai overpass) of the highway A1 Vilnius-Kaunas-Klaipėda (kilometre 39.110), and work of the reconstruction of the surrounding roads will be carried out. The condition of the former Paparčiai overpass is the worst on the network of the roads of national importance.
In 2022, part of the projects, that are carried out near Kaunas on the highway A1 Vlnius-Kaunas-Klaipėda will be completed: the construction of a new bridge over the river Neris and of an overpass over Jonavos Street (between the kilometres 99.29 and 100.47), one of the most dangerous left turnarounds on the network of the roads of national importance on the motorway (near Giraitė), between the kilometres 102.90 and 107.00, will be eliminated, work of reconstruction of the section between Vilnius and Kaunas will be completed, a set of engineering road safety measures will be installed to ensure the safety requirements for the roads of such intensity, and so that the road would meet the requirements for a motorway (between the kilometres 18.1 and 95). After the necessary safety and technical requirements in accordance with the Road Traffic Rules will be ensured, it will be possible to drive on the said section of the road at the maximum speed of 130 km/h in summer and of 110 km/h in winter.
The contract work of the Via Baltica project in the part of the section of the highway A5 Kaunas – Marijampolė – Suwałki, between the kilometres 56.83 and 97.06, are scheduled to begin in 2022. The preparation of the pre-design solutions for another part of Via Baltica road, that is, from Kaunas to the Latvian border (the relevant sections of the highways of national importance – of the road A8 anevėžys–Aristava–Sitkūnai and of the road A10 Panevėžys–Pasvalys–Riga) has been completed.
Next year, the management work of the only road in the country with cement concrete surface, that is, of the highway A14 Vilnius-Utena (between the kilometres 93.65 and 95.6) should be started. Four other sections of this road between the kilometres 21.5 and 93.65 will be designed. This road is one of the main transport arteries in the country, which leads from the capital to the surrounding municipalities.
In 2022, attention in the network of the roads of national importance is planned to be paid to the repair and reconstruction of bridges and roads. Special attention will be paid to the national roads of national importance, the road surface width of which is less than 5 metres. According to the data of this year, there were around 198 km (47 sections) of such roads in the country, that is, of the roads, which not only do not fall into the category of national roads, but are also particularly dangerous in terms of road safety (due to the limited width of the roads, it is more difficult to bend over and perform a bending manoeuvre on them).
A traffic safety infrastructure (roundabouts, modern pedestrian crossings, footpaths and cycling paths, etc.) will be installed on the roads of national importance, and also road markings will be renewed and other road maintenance and development projects will be implemented.
A nearly 35-km-long footpath and cycling path between Smiltynė and Nida (from Smiltynė to Preila) will be designed during the next year. After the completion of the design, public tender procedures for the procurement of construction work will be announced. In 2022, attention is planned to be paid to the installation of an infrastructure of footpaths and cycling paths next to the roads of national importance. The National Plan for the Development of Cycling Paths is being prepared together with the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Next year, asphalting of the gravel roads of national importance will be continued, new tender procedures for their management will be announced. It is planned that, in 2022, 115 km of the gravel roads of national importance will be asphalted.
In 2022, the installation of speed control measures will be finished. During the next year, another 50 sections of average speed control will be equipped. According to the data of December of this year, there were 70 instantaneous speed meters and 81 average speed control sections on the roads of national importance.
Next year, variable message signs (hereinafter – VMSs) will be installed on the highways of national importance – A1 Vilnius–Kaunas–Klaipėda and A5 Kaunas–Marijampolė– Suwałki. VMSs form a component of the speed control and warning system, that consists of weather sensors that record the condition of the road surface, temperature, wind strength and other parameters, and traffic flow analysis equipment, that calculates traffic flows at specific road locations.
The Road Administration will continue the cooperation with the municipalities. It is planned that next year more than 20 million euros will be allocated for the implementation of joint projects of the Road Administration and of the municipalities.
The joint projects of the municipalities, of the Road Administration and of LTG infra can be distinguished as a separate direction of cooperation, for example, a tunnel under the railway will be constructed on the road No 108 (in Vievis), an overpass above the railway will be constructed on the highway A15 (in Rudamina). In addition, in 2022, the Road Administration, LTG Infra and RB Rail AS will sign an agreement for the implementation of Rail Baltica.
In performing the work, the Road Administration will implement the Strategy of the development and maintenance of the Lithuanian roads of national importance by 2035, that is planned to be approved in 2022. The objective of this strategy – the planned long-term perspective for the development and maintenance of the roads of national importance taking into account the envisaged road financing model and level. The implementation of the road maintenance and development projects depends on the funds allocated for this purpose.
The roads of national importance, that belong to the Road Administration, and their elements are managed according to the approved methodologies and taking into account the amount of the funds allocated. The roads of national importance and their elements are ranked according to methodologies, and lists of objects to be managed have been drawn up. Both the methodologies and the queues are published on the website of the Road Administration. Next year, some managing queues will be updated, as provided for in their methodologies.
In 2022, 543 million euros were allocated from the Road Maintenance and Development Program for the maintenance and development of all roads in the country, 364 million euros of which were allocated for the roads of national importance. The Road Administration manages 21,000 km of the roads of national importance.