By 2035, no bridges and overpasses in poor condition should remain in the network of the roads of national importance
During ten months of 2022, 25 bridges and overpasses, which are located in the network of roads of national importance, have already been repaired. About 23 million euros have been allocated for their repair. There are plans to repair another 27 bridges and overpasses in 2023 (the total planned value is about 50 million euros), which are located in the network of roads of national importance, and in 2024 – 35 bridges and overpasses (the total planned value is about 72 million euros).
According to Remigijaus Lipkevičius, head of the SE Lithuanian Road Administration (hereinafter – the Road Administration), bridges and overpasses are the important objects of the country’s infrastructure. Recently, increasing attention has been paid to them. Although we planned to repair 20 bridges and overpasses during this year, we have already implemented 25 such projects in 10 months of this year. Bridges and overpasses are reconstructed as separate projects. Often, they are also a constituent part of larger projects, for example, when the said structures fall within the road section under repair. The repair includes such work as repair of individual elements, construction of a new bridge or overpass, or reconstruction in essence.
The projects completed this year: a new bridge near Kaunas was built (the highway A1 Vilnius-Kaunas-Klaipėda), the most dangerous point in the entire network of the roads of national importance at Giraitė (the highway A1 Vilnius–Kaunas–Klaipėda) was reconstructed, an overpass was built in Kyviškės-Valčiūnai crossing on the intersection of railway track and road of different levels, the overpass of the national road No 143 Jonava-Žasliai-Kalniniai-Mijaugonys was reconstructed, the overpass of the road No 1907 Vilkija–Čekiškė–Ariogala was overhauled, etc.
In 2020, there were 73 bridges in poor condition in the country, in 2021 – 84, and in 2022 – 72.
It is planned that by 2035, no bridges and overpasses in poor condition will remain in the country. Such a goal is set in Strategic Guidelines for National Road Maintenance and Development for 2022–2035, which have been prepared by the Ministry of Transport and Communications together with the Road Administration.
All bridges and viaducts, which are located in the network of the roads of national importance, are inspected annually. During the inspection, the condition of the bridge deck elements, the condition of the overlays and support structures, and the condition of the bridge approaches is assessed.
Road structures, which show signs of poor condition (vehicle impacts; sudden breakdowns of structural elements, impermissible bends, cracks or deformations; defects that can develop up to an uncontrollable process; deviation of design utilization indicators from the requirements of normative construction technical documents; hydraulic processes, etc.) are assessed separately and decisions ensuring safe operation of these structures are made immediately (traffic restrictions are applied (the carriageway is narrowed, vehicle weight restrictions are applied), also temporary structural solutions are applied).
Currently, 1538 road structures, which are located on the roads of national importance, such as bridges, overpasses, trestles and tunnels, are being assessed and have been ranked. The construction and repair of the road structures (bridges, overpasses, trestles, tunnels), which are located on the roads of national importance, are carried out according to the publicly announced order and by taking into account the Road Maintenance and Development Program funds.