A new important stage of the reconstruction of the bridge over the Kruna River on the A1 motorway is beginning – construction works on the second part of the new bridge. The company Tilsta, which is carrying out the bridge reconstruction works commissioned by Via Lietuva, informs drivers about the related traffic organization changes on one of the country’s main traffic arteries, which will come into effect as early as Christmas Eve.
With the start of the second stage of reconstruction of the Kruna bridge, the entire traffic organization over the reconstructed bridge will also change. According to Tilsta, from Monday, December 22 of this year, traffic in the direction of Vilnius will be directed into two lanes over the newly constructed part of the bridge.
Meanwhile, traffic heading toward Kaunas will continue to move in one lane over the temporary (side) bridge, while vehicles using the second lane will also be redirected over the newly constructed bridge from December 22, Tilsta reports.
According to Tilsta CEO Eduardas Grinaveckas, this traffic arrangement over the reconstructed bridge will remain in place until late autumn 2026 – until the second part of the new bridge is completed. After that, reconstruction works on the entire motorway section will continue and are planned to be completed by spring 2027.
“We have already started preparatory works for reorganizing traffic. During this period, prior to the traffic changes, short-term traffic restrictions are possible, during which vehicle traffic may be slowed down or partially restricted. These are temporary restrictions needed to install traffic management measures and allow construction machinery access to the site. They should not cause major inconvenience, but travelers should take them into account when planning their journeys,” says Tilsta CEO E. Grinaveckas.
After traffic is reorganized in this section, traffic heading toward Kaunas will split into two lanes leading over the temporary and the new bridges. This will allow vehicles to bypass the remaining unreconstructed part of the old Kruna bridge, which will soon be demolished and replaced with a new bridge. All these works, as before, will be carried out without stopping traffic (except for short-term restrictions).
Demolition works of the remaining part of the old bridge are planned for January–February, during which one of the temporary bridges will also be dismantled. After these works are completed, construction of the second part of the permanent bridge over the Kruna River will begin.
According to E. Grinaveckas, although challenges are not lacking, the reconstruction of the Kruna bridge is progressing successfully.
One of the most complex tasks of the first stage of the Kruna bridge reconstruction was the launching of the steel superstructure of the new bridge, which was carried out in stages during the summer and completed in the autumn. According to E. Grinaveckas, this is the largest steel superstructure the company has ever manufactured and installed.
The steel bridge superstructure, weighing 750 tons and measuring 125 meters in length, consisted of twenty different steel elements manufactured by Tilsta.
“Although we have previously installed structures of a similar size, what made this project exceptional was that we manufactured all the elements of the bridge superstructure ourselves,” says the company’s CEO.
After the steel structure of the new permanent bridge was launched, concreting works were carried out – an approximately 800 cubic meter reinforced concrete monolithic deck slab was installed on the superstructure. This was followed by concreting of the leveling layer, installation of bonded waterproofing, and a few days ago an asphalt pavement was laid on the newly constructed bridge deck.
“So almost everything is ready to open traffic on the new bridge,” adds the head of Tilsta.
The bridge over the Kruna River currently under reconstruction is considered to be the bridge in the worst condition in Lithuania. The organization of reconstruction works at this site is regarded as completely non-standard and unique – in this respect, the reconstruction of the Kruna bridge has no equivalent in the country. What makes the project exceptional is the installation of two temporary bridges, thanks to which the reconstruction of the Kruna bridge on such a busy motorway is being carried out without stopping traffic and without diverting vehicles onto detours.
We would like to remind that during the reconstruction, two 128-meter-long modular bridges were installed – the longest temporary bridges ever built in Lithuania. Their structures were assembled on the riverbank and then launched onto previously installed supports. The prefabricated bridge structures from an American manufacturer were rented and delivered to Lithuania specifically for this project from Poland, and after completion of the reconstruction they will be dismantled and returned to the lessor.
“This means that while traffic continues to move over the temporary bridges, demolition works of the old bridge sections are being carried out at a significant height above the ground and a new bridge is being built. Once it is completed, the temporary bridges will be dismantled again. This is a fully cost-effective solution, thanks to which residents do not have to endure traffic jams, as traffic flows fairly smoothly during the reconstruction. It also allows us to carry out the works much more efficiently,” concludes E. Grinaveckas.