According to Latvian Ministry of Transport, the sole and safest replacement to Altonavas Street Bridge over the railway track would be building a two-level railway crossing, as LETA was told by the ministry and State Railway Technical Inspectorate, commending on the decision to close down the overpass on Altonavas Street in Riga in the near future.
The ministry explains the decision by the State Railway Technical Inspectorate that does not allow establishing an overpass on O.Vācietis Street is related to road traffic safety.
Road and railway crossing at the same level presents increased danger, which poses increased safety risks to all road users, therefore, the Railway Law and other legal acts establish strict criteria in order to avoid safety risks, the ministry notes.
Thus, the ministry considers that if, according to experts, the overpass of the Altonavas Street Bridge is in critical technical condition, then, first of all, its use for traffic must be stopped. In turn, as the safest solution for all traffic participants, the ministry mentions the establishment of a two-level railway crossing.
At the same time, the ministry explains that, based on the Rail Baltica implementation scenario in Latvia, there is no plan to build a European gauge (1 435 mm) railway line under the Altonava Bridge, but to use the existing (1 520 mm) railway infrastructure for traffic.
To connect Rail Baltica international passenger stations, it is planned to build a new railway line from Imanta station to Riga Airport, thus connecting them to the broad-gauge railway before the construction of the European gauge line and integrating Riga Airport into the existing railway network, the ministry explains.
Representatives of the State Railway Technical Inspectorate told LETA that because of the high expected road traffic intensity and the already high railway traffic, as well as the speed of traffic in this section, an overpass in the area of Altonava Street Bridge would match the first category level crossing.
In turn, the Cabinet of Ministers regulations state that new level crossings of the first, second and third categories may not be installed over public railway infrastructure roads.
At the same time, the inspectorate emphasizes that there are also purely physical restrictions on the creation of a one-level crossing in the bridge area of Altonavas Street. Because of the location of the railway track, it means that both the site plan and profile conditions are such that it is not possible to provide traffic with visibility triangles so that the driver can see the train in time, or the train operator can see the level crossing, and there are other restrictions on the establishment of such a level crossing, as well as a very important issue for the safety of traffic.
LETA previously reported that soon Riga will completely close off the bridge over the railway track on Altonava Street.
The Altonava Street overpass was built in 1910 and has since become dilapidated.