Work has started on a rail bridge over the Daugava River in Riga, the capital of Latvia.
The first two supports will go on to the right bank now, and in the spring the first support in the water will be built.
The reinforced concrete bridge has been designed to preserve the city’s panorama. It will be built alongside an existing metal rail bridge, with a slightly higher track bed. The new bridge will be 1.15km long and 17m wide, with 15 spans and two European standard gauge tracks. It will also have a 3m walkway for pedestrians and cyclists, with multiple access points. The walkway will also provide access for maintenance and emergency work.
The new concrete bridge with the old metal bridge in the background. Credit: Rail Baltica
The construction is being carried out by the consortium Bererix (consisting of BESIX, Rizzani de Eccher, and SIA RERE BUVE) under the supervision of Egis-Deutche Bahn.
Rail Baltica is the infrastructure project that aims to integrate the Baltic States into the European rail network. It will provide a continuous link from Talinn in Estonia to Warsaw in Poland.
The majority of the funding for the new bridge comes from EU’s Connecting Europe Facility; with the Latvian State covering the rest.
