The most effective way to improve traffic safety is by reconstructing the busiest roads, said Mārtiņš Lazdovskis, Chairman of the Board at Latvijas Valsts ceļi (LVC), during the annual Latvian Road Sector Conference on Wednesday.
He emphasized that the country’s most heavily trafficked roads must be rebuilt as dual carriageways with more than one lane in each direction.
As an example, he cited the first 11 kilometers of the Ķekava bypass, which features grade-separated interchanges, an average speed of 120 km/h, no direct access points, and only multi-level junctions.
Lazdovskis stressed the importance of finding funding solutions. “For instance, the Ķekava bypass has been completed, and now the Bauska bypass is under development as a public-private partnership (PPP) project. Next, attention must turn to the Riga Ring Road, which is the most critical route in terms of capacity and traffic safety,” he said.
He also noted that the Riga Ring Road project is closely linked to the Rail Baltica railway project, and delays in the latter have impacted the road project as well. However, Lazdovskis expressed confidence that the Salaspils–Baltezers (A4) section of the ring road needs to be prioritized and completed sooner.
He concluded by stating that roads built in the 20th century are no longer adequate for the traffic volumes seen in 2025. He also pointed out that the highest number of road fatalities continues to occur in collisions—with 28 people losing their lives in such incidents last year alone. “Roads that are not suited for today’s traffic levels pose a threat to both safety and mobility,” he added.
LVC representatives told LETA that under EU regulations, by the end of 2030, all roads within the core TEN-T network must have separated carriageways and be free of level crossings. Exceptions to these requirements are possible, but only if a socioeconomic cost-benefit analysis is negative.
In Latvia, the TEN-T network roads that must meet these standards by the end of 2030 include:
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The entire Riga Ring Road
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The Bauska Highway (A7) from Riga to the Lithuanian border
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The Ventspils Highway (A10) from Riga to Tukums
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The Tallinn Highway (A1) from Riga to Saulkrasti
Among these, only the Bauska bypass has a confirmed reconstruction timeline and funding source. It will be built as a PPP project and is expected to open to traffic in early 2031. The other heavily trafficked national roads currently have no allocated funding for reconstruction.
As previously reported by LETA, the annual Latvian Road Sector Conference organized by LVC is being held this Wednesday and Thursday, April 9. The first day of the conference is focused on development plans and road safety, while the second day will highlight technology and quality standards.