EASYCROSSING
Project title in English: Improvement of cross border road infrastructure for well connected regional centres and facilitated labour mobility in the border areas
(abbreviation – EASYCROSSING)
Project title in Latvian: Infrastruktūras uzlabošana labu reģionālo centru savienojumu nodrošināšanai un darbaspēka mobilitātes veicināšanai pierobežas teritorijā
Project ID: LLI-280
The aim
The overall objective of the project is to facilitate geographical mobility and territorial integrity of the LV – LT border regions providing an appropriate transport infrastructure for mobility of work force, services and goods in order to reduce territorial challenges like high unemployment rate, emigration, low quality of road infrastructure etc. – impediment for sustainable regional development.
To achieve specific objective there are planned:
- events promoting mobility opportunities,
- reconstruction of 6 road sections in total length of 45.93 km.
Reconstruction of following road sections planned / completed:
- P106 Ezere–Embūte–Grobiņa, 0,07-13.95 km (completed in 2018) and 163 Mažeikiai – LV border, 0.0-9.209 km;
- V1028 Bauska–Bērzi–LT border, 7,44-14,62 km and 2912 Žeimelis – Vileišiai – LV border, 0.0- 5.1 km (both completed in 2020);
- P75 Jēkabpils–LT border, 56,08-60,50 km and V961 Nereta–Sleķi, 0,10-1,15 km (completed in 2018) and 3647 Pandėlys – Suvainiškis – LV border, 13.3 – 18.3 km (completed in 2019).
There will be also web-based information exchange points with information about job opportunities on both sides of the border and how to find it.
Project implementation status
In some of the objects, construction work was started and completed in 2018 (e.g. in Latvia – P106 Ezere – Embūte – Grobiņa and P75/V961 Nereta – LT border). On the road V1028 Adžūni – LT border works were launched in 2018 but were interrupted due to the insolvency of the contractor and continued in 2020 in cooperation with another company. Completed in August 2020.
More ambitious and therefore more time-consuming jobs were carried out on the Lithuanian side on road 163 LV border – Mažeiki: the main works were launched at the end of 2017 and completed in 2019, while a preliminary design was carried out for the ~ 2 km section at the boundary of the Mažeiķi. It is planned to complete the construction works in this stage in the first half of 2021. Stages from the LV border to Pandelis and from the border to Žeimelis were launched in 2018 and completed at the end of 2019, except the stage in the town of Žeimelis, where an unexpected archaeological excavation was carried out during the works, to explore founded human remains and a ~ 500-meter-long stage of an ancient paved road or street. The reconstruction of this historical road stage will be carried out separately, outside the EASYCROSSING project.
The project is being implemented in cooperation between LR Ministry of Transport, on behalf of which the project is implemented by the Latvian State Roads (leader partner and responsible for the whole project as a whole) and the Lithuanian Road Administration with the support of the Latvian-Lithuanian cross-border cooperation program for 2014-2020. The program has allocated EUR 8 999 889,93 (ERDF funds) for the implementation of the project, EUR 4 499 889,93 for the Latvian side, and EUR 4 500 000,00 for the Lithuanian side, for which partners provide co-financing of at least 15%.
Benefits of the Latvia
It’s expected that project will ensure growth of the traffic intensity for 12% and number of commuters for up to 10% during 5 years after project implementation.
- assessment of the traffic volume has been measured before and after construction works to compare impact of the activities.
- there are three road sections in the border area reconstructed within the project (previously most of them with the gravel coverage, after construction – with “black” surface in total length of 26.7 km.
- in order to facilitate mobility of the labour force over both sides of the border, there is information about institutions supporting job seekers in Latvia and also in Lithuania:
Partnership
To ensure qualitative outcomes, implementation is ensured in close cooperation between SJSC “Latvian State Roads” (leading partner) and Lithuanian Road administration.
Budget
The total budget of the project is € 10 588 105.81, including € 8 999 889.93 ERDF. The available budget for the project activities in Latvia is € 5 293 988.16, including € 4 499 889.93 ERDF.
Implementation period: 01.01.2018 -26.06.2021.
Useful information
About Programme: https://latlit.eu/
About Europe Union: www.europa.eu.
Project manager
Liesma Grīnberga
SJSC Latvian State Roads
Head of Development Instruments Department
E-mail: liesma.grinberga@lvceli.lv