Lithuania: Via Baltica reconstruction halfway through, other half to be completed by 2025

VILNIUS – Reconstruction of Via Baltica international motorway's section from kilometer 79 to kilometer 85 was completed officially on Wednesday.

The new road connects Marijampole and Kalvarija, two towns in southwestern Lithuania, and its opening marks the halfway point of the entire Via Baltica project, the Lithuanian Road Administration (LAKD) said in a press release.

Four viaducts, four bridges, a tunnel passage and a green bridge for animal migration were built during the year, according to LAKD.

Transport and Communications Minister Marius Skuodis said that the work was completed without delay.

He noted that the third section of the Via Baltica from Kaunas to Marijampole was now being worked on, while the fourth section was yet to be tendered.

"Twelve and a half kilometers have already been built, and work continues in full swing ... on another 16 kilometers, and we are just waiting for the end of the tender process for the last section at the Polish border," Skuodis said.

According to LAKD, the reconstruction of the fourth and final section is scheduled to start next year.

The entire 40-kilometer-long road will be reconstructed into a four-lane motorway by 2025 and will be adapted for both civilian and military mobility needs.