The Road Administration will continue the major infrastructure development works started in 2023, with other new projects planned to improve traffic safety
In order to improve the infrastructure of the roads of national importance, according to the 2023 Action Plan of the public limited liability company Lithuanian Road Administration (hereinafter – Road Administration), in accordance with the lists of priority queues and taking into account the available funding, it is planned to repair/reconstruct 300 km of roads of national importance in the course of this year, asphalting 110 km of gravel roads, repairing 27 bridges, and installing other traffic safety measures (intersections, crossings, pedestrian crossing points, wildlife protection systems etc.).
The Road Maintenance and Development Programme (RMDP) is set to provide €364 million for the maintenance and development of national roads this year. It also foresees an additional budget of around €70 million for road projects of national importance for military mobility. In addition, EU funds will be used to finance national road projects.
This year, the highest priority will be given to the implementation of the Via Baltica and A14 Vilnius-Utena reconstruction projects. It is also planned to carry out preliminary design works for the reconstruction of the national road No. 130 Kaunas-Prienai-Alytus, the reconstruction of the middle bridge over the Neris River (A. Meškinis) near Kaunas, and the repair works of the Neringa cycle path. In addition to the above-mentioned projects, the Road Administration will continue the implementation of engineering solutions to improve traffic safety, implementation of traffic control measures, etc.
Via Baltica
In 2023, intensive construction works will continue on the section from Marijampolė to the Polish border. Works started at the end of last year will continue on two sections of the A5 Kaunas-Marijampolė-Suvalkai (Via Baltica) from 72.50 to 79.00 km and from 79.00 to 85.00 km. Both sections are planned to be reconstructed into four lanes, with connecting and link roads, roundabouts, bridges, noise barriers, lighting, etc. at different levels with the main road. They are scheduled for completion at the end of 2023.
Following a public tender launched at the end of last year for the reconstruction of the third section of the A5 Kaunas-Marijampolė-Suvalkai (Via Baltica) main road, from 56.83 km to 72.50 km, the works are scheduled to start in mid-2023.
In the first half of this year, the fourth section of the main road, from 85.00 km to 97.06 km, is also expected to be open to public tender.
The completion of the entire 40 km section of Via Baltica (from 56.83 to 97.06 km) is scheduled for December 2024. This is one of the largest projects implemented by the Road Administration in the last 30 years.
A14 Vilnius–Utena
In October 2022, the agreements signed by the Road Administration for the preparation and supervision of the technical work projects for the reconstruction of two sections of the A14 Vilnius-Utena main road (from 64.332 km to 79.510 km and from 79.510 km to 93.726 km) entered into force. The projects must be prepared and submitted within 11 months of the entry into force of the agreements.
Public procurement procedures are currently underway for the preparation and supervision of the technical works projects for the reconstruction of the sections of the Utena road to Molėtai (from 21.500 to 39.207 km and from 39.207 to 64.332 km). It is planned that the contracting works on this main road from Molėtai to Utena (including in Utena city) could be completed in 2024, and the section to Molėtai completed by 2025.
No. 130 Kaunas–Prienai–Alytus and A1 Vilnius–Kaunas–Klaipėda
In September 2022, an agreement for the preparation of preliminary design solutions for the reconstruction of the section from 11.60 to 31.10 km (19.5 km) of the national road No. 130 Kaunas-Prienai-Alytus came into force. The designers have 8 months to prepare and submit preliminary design solutions for the reconstruction to the Road Administration.
In November 2022, an agreement for the reconstruction of the middle bridge over Neris River (A. Meškinis) near Kaunas came into force. According to the agreement signed with the Road Administration, the bridge on the section of the A1 Vilnius-Kaunas-Klaipėda main road from 99.03 to 100.47 km, as well as the viaduct over Jonava street and the bridge approaches, are to be repaired within 23 months from the entry into force of the agreement.
Neringa cycle path
Construction works are scheduled to start at the beginning of the year under two agreements between the Road Administration and the contractor, which entered into force in the second half of December 2022, for the repair of two sections of the pedestrian and bicycle trail in Neringa, from Smiltyne to Juodkrante (from 2.104 km to 2.956 km, and from 2.956 km to 15.567 km).
The project includes a new path up to 3.5 m wide, as well as rest areas. The design of other sections of the Smiltynė-Nida pedestrian and cycle path is also being finalised. Once the design work is completed, a call for tenders for the reconstruction of these sections is planned for the first half of 2023.
Bridges, viaducts and flyovers
In 2023, a project to make major repairs to the 16.017 km viaduct of the national road A16 Vilnius-Prienai-Marijampolė will start. The repairs will have to be carried out within 13 months of the entry into force of the agreement. A project to make major repairs to the flyover on the A5 Kaunas-Marijampolė-Suvalkai national road will also start. The repair works are to be carried out within 13 months of the entry into force of the agreement.
Preliminary data show that 40 bridges and viaducts on the national road network were repaired in 2022. Around €25 million has been allocated for their improvement in 2022. In 2023, a further 27 bridges and viaducts on the national road network are planned to be repaired (with an estimated total value of around €53 million), and 35 bridges and viaducts are planned to be repaired in 2024 (with an estimated total value of around €70 million).
Implementing Intelligent Transport Systems
Between 2023 and 2024, 54 additional sections of Average Speed Measurement Systems (ASMS) are planned to be installed on national roads, and 6 Instantaneous Speed Cameras (ISC) in 2023.
A total of 131 ASMS sections (262 devices) and 70 instantaneous speed cameras (ISC) are currently in operation on national roads, located at dangerous areas. These record speeding offences, toll payments, roadworthiness and the validity of civil liability insurance.
Next year, 30 new Road Weather Stations (RWS) are planned on national roads. The new RWS will be installed at locations on national roads that have been selected taking into account the importance of the road, the volume of traffic, the level of maintenance, as well as the density of the existing RWS and the geographical circumstances influencing the planning of winter road maintenance works. 126 existing RWS are also planned to be upgraded during 2023. The upgrading of the stations will provide even more accurate information on road and traffic conditions.
Innovations
Currently, public procurement procedures are underway to develop asphalt mixtures suitable for Lithuanian climatic conditions using recycled tyre rubber and to determine their performance characteristics in order to assess the potential for further use.
The service provider selected for the tender will have to study the experience of recycled tyres used in asphalt mixtures in foreign countries, and will have to carry out research on the raw material of at least three different producers of recycled tyre rubber operating in Lithuania. Following the evaluation of the results of the studies, the service provider will be required to design at least 4 different layouts of asphalt mixtures with recycled tyre rubber pellets and rubber powder, followed by the production of prototypes and their testing under laboratory conditions.
The final conclusions and results of the study will serve as a basis for decisions on further testing of the developed asphalt mixtures in real-life operating conditions by installing a test section of road. This use of recycled materials would contribute to reducing environmental pollution.