LATVIA: On behalf of the Ministry of Transport, Rail Baltica project promoter RB Rail has awarded two contracts for design and design supervision services for the remaining two sections of the corridor in Latvia.
This means design activities are now ongoing for the entire Latvian section of the 1 435 mm gauge line, as well as the Riga Central and airport stations.
The €13·5m, 30-month contract covering site investigations, value engineering, design development and detailed technical design for the 94 km from Vangaži to the Estonian border has been awarded to a consortium of Ineco and Ardanuy. This section includes 13 bridges, 36 road viaducts, three railway viaducts, 119 culverts and three animal crossings.
The €6·9m, 24-month contract covering the 45 km section from Misa to the Lithuanian border was awarded to Idom. This section includes four bridges, 16 road viaducts, four railway viaducts, 54 culverts and one animal crossing.
The contracts were awarded based on the most economically advantageous proposal, with the price falling within the planned budget. The EU is meeting 85% of the cost, and the Latvian government the remainder.
‘I am pleased that the implementation of the Rail Baltica project is continuing during this difficult period,’ said Minister of Transport Tālis Linkaits on April 6. ‘It is important to increase the design speed so that construction works can be started in Latvia as soon as possible. The active construction phase of Rail Baltica, which will begin at Riga Central station this autumn, will be one of the factors contributing to Latvia’s economic development and will help to recover from the effects of Covid-19.’
He called on companies to actively follow the project and participate in future procurements ‘as the project is progressing regardless of the Covid-19 situation’.
