Five years have passed since the last news about the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the Neris River. Over the past five years, hope has been fading, and it has become increasingly likely that the project will be forgotten and not implemented. However, the municipality is sharing good news - the bridge will be built, and construction work may begin soon.
Vilnius city municipalities The administration issued a building permit in early May.
"The construction of the Albert Bridge, which will connect A. Goštauto and Upės streets, should begin this year - preparations are underway to purchase contract work," the information shared Vilnius city municipality.
The new bridge could be built as early as 2027.
Plans for the construction of this bridge have previously been criticized in public, saying that there are two bridges near this location – the Žvėrynas and Geležinis Vilkas bridges, so a new connection across the Neris is not rational. However, in parts of the Žvėrynas and Saltoniškės territories, new office buildings have been built in the past few years, and car traffic has increased, so with the construction of the bridge, pedestrians or cyclists will be able to reach the Old Town without waiting in traffic jams.
The bridge becomes even more relevant when planning to establish a ministry campus on the territory of the former University of Education.
A more comfortable, faster and safer connection
The designers (project manager Justas Petkevičius, architects Algimantas Neniškis, Andrė Baldišiūtė, Gilma Teodora Gylytė, Sabina Daugėlienė, Ignas Uogintas) planned a 109 m long, 13 m wide bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. The wooden arched bridge with a minimalistic architectural expression seems to consist of two intertwining elements, connecting the shores at four points - the lower and upper terraces of the quays. Such an arrangement naturally adapts to the existing relief of the embankments of the Neries and ensures the maximum convenient movement of people - it allows smooth access to both the upper and lower terraces of the Neries embankment.
For more convenient access for cyclists, people with mobility disabilities and families with strollers at different levels on the right bank of the river, the existing section is adapted to the lower embankment terrace, and a new section connecting the upper embankment terrace with the lower one is planned on the left bank near the bridge.
The wooden structures of glued wood create a decorative facade, viewed not only from further perspectives, but also from the lower embankment terrace - the architects chose this material taking into account the sensitive character of the architecture of Žvėrynas.
The supports of the bridge are expected to be monolithic reinforced concrete supported on bored piles. The reinforced concrete supporting part of the arched structure is installed above so that the wooden structure and metal supporting parts are protected from direct impact during the ice carrier. The possibilities of safe navigation on the river are also evaluated in the bridge solutions. It is estimated that the height of the bottom of the bridge structures in the fairway area is sufficient for safe navigation on the Neris River.
We would like to remind you that you can familiarize yourself with the architectural designs of the pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Neris River here.
