Minister of Transport and Communications Eugenijus Sabutis and LTG Group CEO Egidijus Lazauskas inspected the Rail Baltica construction sites in the Jonava district, where 46,3 contractors from Lithuania and Italy are carrying out construction work on 5 km sections. The first columns, which will reach a height of up to 40 m in some places, have already been erected in the construction of the future longest railway bridge in the Baltic States.
"Rail Baltica is a strategically important project for Lithuania and the entire Baltic region, to which we pay special attention. I urge you to accelerate preparations for construction in the direction of Poland, to accelerate work from Kaunas towards the Latvian border. We must focus and install the first sections of the European railway track as soon as possible. This railway connection is important not only for convenient communication, but also for the security of the country," says Minister of Transport E. Sabutis.
"We are successfully implementing this year's goals - to more than double the section of Rail Baltica where construction work is underway, to prepare for the design of an important direction - the line towards the Polish state border - and to make the necessary decisions. Rail Baltica is an international project involving many interested parties, requiring their active involvement, which is why we are pleased with the close cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and Communications," says E. Lazauskas, Head of LTG Group.
While the construction of the upper part of the bridge over the Neris River is underway, preparations are already underway for the concreting of the bridge deck – the necessary equipment has been delivered to Lithuania. This bridge is one of the most complex infrastructure objects in the history of Lithuania. Its complexity is characterized not only by its length (1,51 km), but also by its height (40 meters), 3 installation technologies are used in the construction of the deck, including a complex sliding scaffolding system, due to the network of Natura 2000 protected areas located here, the highest environmental standards are met, and the structure is designed so that it does not have a single support in the Neris River.
A total of almost 376 piles have been drilled underground to support the superstructure. It is estimated that the concreting work for the 1,51 km bridge will require almost 67 m³ of concrete and more than 000 tons of reinforcement. This amount would be enough to build a 11-story skyscraper or 000 Olympic swimming pools. The construction of an average bridge in Lithuania usually requires about 30–27 m³ of concrete.
According to preliminary calculations, the high-speed train will pass over the Neris Bridge in approximately 22 seconds. The construction of the Neris Bridge is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, and currently a third of all work has been completed.
This year, it is planned to complete the first 10 km section of the high-speed railway excavation work on the Switzerland–Žeimiai section, which will include over 40 different engineering structures, some of which are already in operation. This year, it is also planned to start laying tracks on this section. Early next year, another 17,7 km section towards Šėta will be completed.
During the visit, representatives of the LTG Group and the Ministry of Transport and Communications discussed the project priorities and met with contractors Fegda and Rizzani de Eccher. The Ministry's management intends to continue meetings with other project contractors. LTG Infra has announced public procurement for the construction of new 68 km sections of subgrade and engineering structures. This year, work will take place on 114 km sections.
Rail Baltica is a strategic project of the LTG Group and the European Union and the largest railway infrastructure project in the history of the Baltic States, which will build an electrified European-standard railway connecting Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia with Central and Western Europe, ensuring regional integration, civil and military mobility.
