The preparation of the pre-design solutions of the highway A8 Panevėžys–Aristava–Sitkūnai (Via Baltica) begins
The contract for the preparation of pre-design solutions of the section between the kilometres 7.508 and 87.861 of the highway A8 Panevėžys–Aristava–Sitkūnai of the national importance, which is a part of Via Baltica road, has entered into force. The value of the contract is almost 506 thousand euros including VAT. The term of the performance of the contract – 14 months. After the analysis of the pre-design solutions according to the obtained results will be carried out, the stage of technical design and later the stage of contract work will be carried out.
This contract is aimed at selecting the most optimal alternative, according to which the road section from Kaunas to Panevėžys would be reconstructed. The most optimal alternative will be chosen based taking into account traffic safety, traffic organisation and after the cost-benefit analysis will be carried out. From 2016 to 2020, 13 registered traffic accidents have occurred on this section of the road. During them, 44 people tragically died and 50 were injured.
“The Via Baltica transport corridor is a strategic project of transport communication, and works of the preparation of pre-design solutions and design works are currently carried out in various sections of this road, including the section between Kaunas and Panevėžys. The goal is to have by 2030 a modern road from the Lithuanian-Polish border to the Lithuanian-Latvian border, which meets the highest road safety standards”, – says Julius Skačkauskas, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications.
According to Remigijus Lipkevičius, Director of the State Enterprise Lithuanian Road Administration, after the reconstruction of the said section of the road, the likelihood of collisions with opposing vehicles should be reduced, the condition of the road surface should be improved, dangerous intersections should be eliminated, and speed limits will be lifted after the international safety and speed limitation standards will be ensured.
The overall length of the Via Baltica transport corridor, that consists of five highways (A5 Kaunas–Marijampolė– Suwałki, A1 Vilnius–Kaunas–Klaipėda (part), A8 Panevėžys–Aristava–Sitkūnai, A17 Panevėžys Bypass, and A10 Panevėžys–Pasvalys–Riga), in the territory of Lithuania is 268 km. It is also the transport corridor of the busiest heavy transport traffic. This transport corridor is used for transportation of the biggest amounts of cargo in north-south directions. According to the data of 2019, the average annual traffic intensity on the Via Baltica section between Kaunas and Panevėžys was 7.5 thousand cars per day (24 hours), of which almost 37 percent were goods carrying vehicles.
After the reconstruction, Via Baltica road will have to meet the international infrastructure safety and traffic management standards.
This month, after approval from the controlling authorities will be obtained, a contract for the preparation of pre-design solutions of the section between the kilometres 9.1 and 66 of the highway A10 Panevėžys–Pasvalys–Riga of national importance (of section of Via Baltica) is also planned to be signed.
It is planned that the whole Via Baltica project in Lithuania should be implemented by 2030.