Why 81,000 euros are urgently needed for the unfinished Rail Baltica overpass, even though construction is halted

In Latvia, preparations are being made to preserve part of the unfinished Rail Baltica infrastructure in the center of Riga. The Ministry of Transport proposes to allocate 81,414 euros including VAT for the development of a conservation project for the overpass over Lastadijas Street and General Radzins' Embankment, as well as for the support already built in the Daugava. This involves the preparation of technical documentation necessary before the actual work begins. The ministry emphasizes that the funding is not intended for conservation per se, but will allow for determining the scope of future work, their costs, and preparing for procurement. According to the company Eiropas dzelzceļa līnijas (EDzL), the total length of the built overpass is about 140 meters. It is supposed to become part of the future railway bridge over the Daugava; however, due to a change in project priorities, further construction has been postponed for now. Currently, it is necessary to protect the already constructed structures from possible deterioration in technical condition until the bridge project receives funding and is continued. According to preliminary estimates by EDzL, the conservation of the overpass and support, along with the development of the project, will cost approximately 551,000 euros excluding VAT. An additional 31,000 euros excluding VAT will be needed for the minimal maintenance of the facility until the start of these works. In total, the necessary expenses are estimated at about 582,000 euros excluding VAT. This means that the currently requested 81,000 euros is just a small part of the future costs. Without project preparation, procurement cannot be conducted, and conservation cannot begin. The ministry warns that delaying preparatory work is undesirable. In its assessment, timely conservation will help avoid further wear and larger expenses for the state budget in the future. After the project development is completed, the government will receive a separate report with a cost estimate for the actual work and proposals for their financing. The changes are related to the revision of the Rail Baltica implementation in Latvia. In the first phase, the authorities intend to focus on constructing the line from the Lithuanian to the Estonian border, completing work at Riga Airport, and the southern part of the Central Station. The project of the so-called "Riga Ring," of which the bridge over the Daugava is a part, has been postponed to a later stage.