Summary maps and visualisations of the Segment 2

Layout
Detailed description of the layout
Advantages and disadvantages of the chosen General Option
Main technical parameters
Construction materials
Impact on the environment
Opinion of society
Substantiation for choice of the General Option
Real estate
Costs
Chronology of designing works

Layout

The Segment 2 of the Riga Northern Transport Corridor (Northern Corridor) starts slightly to the west of Daugavgrivas street (cross-point of Spilve glen and Dzirciema street, which is also closing point of the Segment 3) then crosses the Daugava river, northern part of the Riga downtown and ends at the central axes of the Eastern main (Gustava Zemgala avenue).

Substantiation for choice of the General Option is available here.

Detailed description of the layout

The Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor includes the most complicated and most expensive elements of the Northern Corridor: a high layout bridge over the Daugava river with tunnel under the southern part of the Mikeli cemetery. This is the most far in Riga located crossing of the Daugava river that joins the western part of the city with the eastern part of the city by relieving the central infrastructure of the Riga city traffic from the existing traffic flows considerably; thus, general conditions of mobility in the city are improved along with reduction of the adverse impact of vehicles to the quality of city environment.  
Bridge bank of the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor starts 1450 meters and construction – 880 meters west of Daugavgrivas street. The bridge structure ends 440 meters east of Ganibu embankment (total length of bridge structures – 3063 m) and then the route goes along Bukultu street on the ground level. 200 meters west of Duntes street a tunnel starts that goes under Bukultu street, crosses territory of the Hospital of Accidents and Orthopaedy, and southern part of the Mikeli cemetery; level of the drive reaches depth of 21.3 meters under the ground. Then the tunnel goes under Gaujas street, under traffic passage of Gustava Zemgala avenue and ends 630 meters east of it under Kisezera street (part of the Segment 1 of the Northern Corridor). The bridge has two drive-offs: in crossings with Daugavgrivas and Eksporta streets. Meanwhile, the tunnel has two entrances and exits: in crossing with Duntes street and Gustava Zemgala avenue. In the left bank of the Daugava river, the route has a possible crossing with Sarema street on the ground level. The maximal height from the Daugava river level to the bridge structure is 57.76 meters.  
In accordance with the forecasted increase of traffic flow, the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor will function as a city highway, which means that the route is designed for three driving lines into every direction without traffic-lights on the basic route.
Over the tunnel in Gaujas street, a new street with pass for pedestrians/bicyclists and parking lots will be constructed. Bukultu street will be completely reconstructed in scope of read lines and it will form drive-ons and drive-offs of the Northern Corridor as well as connection with Ganibu embankment and Duntes street.
The forecasted length of span of the bridge over the Daugava river is 470 m. The middle span of the bridge in length of 300 m reaches height of 57.76 m (from normal water level of the Daugava river to the underneath part of the bridge structure) thus providing the possibility to almost all biggest sailing-ships, cruise and Ro-Pax ships to sail up to the Riga downtown.

Advantages and disadvantages of the chosen General Option

Advantages: The most efficient solution for relieving of traffic in Riga; None of assessment categories has acknowledged this option as the worst of three variants; In inquiry, it received the greatest support of inhabitants.

Disadvantages: Sensible attitude of inhabitants to tunnel under cemetery.

Main technical parameters

Construction materials

 

Impact on the environment

Opinion of society

Basing on decision on necessity to assess impact on the environment (further in the text referred as the EIA) taken by the Environment State Bureau on July 28, 2006, in the period from December 17, 2009 to January 27, 2010, working report on the EIA developed by „Estonian, Latvian & Lithuanian Environment” SIA was delivered for public discussion.
During public discussion, three dispute meetings in the Riga City Council, City square 1, Riga were organized:

1. Meeting of public discussions on working report of the EIA with 127 registered participants;
2. Discussions of professionals with architects, city planners, and engineers with 49 registered members;
3. Discussions of professionals with experts of economics, finances, and environment with 45 registered members.

Process of social discussion presented an active participation of society:

• 3 meetings of public discussion were attended by 221 participants;
• 18 letters, several informative phone calls and e-mails were received;
• 556 questionnaires of inquiry and 144 questionnaires of proposals were received.

Written proposals included sound support to the offered 3rd Option (76% of respondents).

76%, 422 balsis – par 3. variantu (tunelis/tilts) – 76%, 422 votes for the 3rd Option (tunnel/bridge)
4%, 20 balsis – par 2. variantu (estakāde/tilts) – 4%, 20 votes for the 2nd Option (elevated road/bridge)
12%, 69 balsis – par 1. variantu (garais tunelis) – 12%, 69 votes for the 1st Option (long tunnel)
8%, 43 balsis – pret visiem variantiem – 8%, 43 votes against all options
0%, 2 balsis – par visiem variantiem – 0%, 2 votes for all options

More detailed information on results of abovementioned public discussions is available here.

Substantiation for choice of the General Option

In order to take a substantiated decision on the General Option of the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor, three alternative options were offered to society and authorities for evaluation that are available here.

On July 24, 2006, the City Development Department of the Riga City Council submitted to the Environment State Bureau an application on designing of the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor.

On July 28, 2006, decision on necessity for EIA of construction of the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor highway from Daugavgrivas street to Gustava Zemgala avenue was taken.

In the period from July 24 to August 31, 2006, initial public discussion of the EIA went on.

On October 19, 2006, the Environment State Bureau issued an EIA program and due to the end of expiration term of this program, the Environment State Bureau issued a new EIA program.

In the period from December 17, 2009 to January 27, 2010, public discussion on the working report of the EIA of the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor carried on. 3 technical solutions of the route were offered for public discussion.

In January of the year 2009, the technical expert of the project of the Northern Corridor “AECOM” Ltd prepared an independent review and statement of experts on the EIA of the Northern Corridor and on March 25, 2009 provided statement of expert on topical materials of the sketch design of the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor by acknowledging the 3rd solution of the route layout as the most appropriated for further development.

On June 18, 2010, the Environment State Bureau issued statement on options of route layout included in the final EIA report on the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor. In accordance with the statement, the 1st solution of the route layout was acknowledged as the most appropriate one in respect of impact on the environment. The 3rd solution of the route was mentioned as the next most appropriate while the 2nd solution of the route was defined as the most inappropriate because its effectuation would result in great affect on territories in the Riga historical centre and its protective zone; in addition, considerable impact on environment and inhabitants was forecasted.

Basing on the statement of the Environment State Bureau as well as proposals submitted during public discussions and statement of the technical expert of the project of the Northern Corridor “AECOM” Ltd, the Riga City Council on July 6, 2010 decided on acceptance of the planned activity “Construction of the Segment 2 of the Riga Northern Corridor of Transport from Daugavgrivas street to Gustava Zemgala avenue (Vairoga street)” by forecasting further development of construction project of the 3rdOptionof layout of the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor.

Decision taken by the Riga City Council is available here.

Real estate

Costs

Cost calculations performed by Basler Hofmann with prices of the year 2009*, mio LVL, without VAT

* - construction costs are calculated in accordance with market conditions in Latvia following prices of the year 2009. Calculations are made considering overhead expenses and profit;
** - costs of project effectuation include costs for construction, acquisition/obtaining of real estates, designing work, building supervision, unexpected construction works, and author supervision;
*** Exploitation costs are offered for a 23-year period, which is the validity term of the planned contract of public and private partnership.

Chronology of designing works

• July 24 – August 31 2006: public discussion on construction intention of the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor – highway from Vairoga street to Daugavgrivas street. 
• August 10 – August 31 2006: initial public discussion on EIA on the planned construction of the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor – highway from Vairoga street to Daugavgrivas street.
• December 5 2006: the Riga City Council takes decision accepting the construction intention.
• February 21, 2008: agreement with „Estonian, Latvian & Lithuanian Environment” SIA on development of working report of EIA on the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor is concluded.
• June 25, 2007: contract with „Basler & Hofmann Deutschland GmbH” on development of sketch design is concluded.
• January of the year 2009: the technical expert of the project of the Northern Corridor prepares and independent review and statement of experts on the EIA of the Riga Northern Corridor of Transport.
• December 17, 2009 – January 27 2010: public discussion on working report of the EIA.
• June 18, 2010: statement of the .Environment State Bureau concludes the EIA procedure.
• June 06, 2010: the Riga City Council takes decision on the General Option of the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor. Basing on this decision, sketch design for the 3rd alternative Option is being developed. However, since in the course of acceptance of this General Option many questions on technical solutions and costs of the Daugava river crossing raised, there was stated a necessity to investigate other alternatives of the Daugava river crossing that would be reasonable for analyzing in more details with aim to reduce costs of construction of the Daugava river crossing.
• September 08, 2010: the Steering Committee of the Riga Northern Transport Corridor presents review of potential alternatives of the Northern Crossing of the Daugava river. Basing on recommendations of this review, the Steering Committee assigns the City Development Department of the Riga City Council to commence development of sketch project for option of the immersed tunnel of the Northern Crossing of the Daugava river; this option shall be evaluated as the only rational alternative of already analyzed options of deep-bored tunnel and high bridge. Other alternatives, for example, elevated bridge, shall not be considered rational since the comparatively small height of elevated bridges and span limits of opening bridges as well as constant interruptions of traffic flow over bridges of such structures do not conform to demands set to the crossing.
• December 20, 2010: the Riga City Council receives developed sketch design that is approved by responsible authorities and includes detailed technical solution of route in accordance with decision on General Option taken by the Riga City Council on June 06, 2010.
• December of the year 2010: recommendation on favour of immersed tunnel as technical solution of the Northern Crossing of the Daugava river (by forecasting its potentially lower costs in comparison to the high bridge) results from the approved mobility plan of Riga and Pieriga.
• December 28, 2010: contract with „Mostovoje bjuro” OOO on preparation of technical specification and designing task for elaboration of sketch project for the Northern Crossing of the Daugava river (part of the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor from Daugavgrivas street to Ganibu embankment) with option of immersed tunnel is concluded.

The sketch design of the Segment 2 of the Northern Corridor is available at the Project Management and Development Unit of the City Development Department of the Riga City Council.

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