Part of the Via Baltica motorway will be improved
The Lithuanian directorate in charge of road maintenance has announced the reconstruction of a part of the Via Baltica highway. This highway is part of the TEN-T trans-European road network and is one of the busiest in the country.
Repairs are planned on a 23-km sections of the road. The work will start in 2026. Until then, Lithuanian authorities intend to develop a communications strategy for the surrounding regions. The highway runs near Kaunas and Girliava, experiencing high urbanisation rates. However, their development needs to be improved by the lack of necessary infrastructure. The government plans to improve the situation by building commercial facilities, including industrial and commercial premises and warehouses.
The road on which the work will take place anticipates a speed of 90 km/h; after the renovation, the figure will be increased to 130 km/h. In addition, the route will create a separation between transit and local traffic. All intersections and single-level interchanges will be eliminated, simplifying and speeding up traffic.
At km 19.5, there is a bend in the road that is considered to be a high-risk area. To reduce the risk of accidents, the plan is to build a two-level junction here, including a viaduct and an access road. The latter will be reserved for local traffic. Most of the junctions will be removed, and the route will have bicycle lanes and places for pedestrians. It will also be equipped with special noise-reduction systems. The main highway on the left side will provide an access road, separating transit traffic from the local flow.
Road reconstruction in Lithuania
Earlier Lithuanian authorities reported about the reconstruction of the road, which adjoins the border territories with Poland. Thus, the government wants to expand and improve the infrastructure in the country’s two regions. For this purpose, the countries signed an agreement on cooperation, which envisages joint road infrastructure development in the border regions.
The main objective of Lithuania and Poland is to ensure the safety of traffic on the border road sections. The works are planned on three sections of highways that lead directly to the border crossings with Poland. The necessary funds for the project have already been allocated. Besides, the Lithuanian authorities are cooperating with the neighbouring state to modernise infrastructure, including checkpoints.
The repair work’s primary focus will be improving the road surface and introducing additional safety measures. So far, the project is at the stage of preparing the technical documentation; the work will start in 2024. A tender for the service provider will be launched shortly.
