There is a triple number of paid roads in Lithuania
One of the most important highways in Lithuania is the road Klaipėda -Kaunas -Vilnius. It was there, at the Krun, was the bridge of the worst condition in the country. Specialists say it could have collapsed at any moment.
« When we took over the construction site and started the work, the condition was very bad, the concrete fell on their heads. It was unsafe, » said Tilsta CEO Eduard Grinackas.
There are many bridges and viaducts in poor condition in Lithuania, and the roads of critical condition make up more than 40 percent.
« Most of the buildings are about 50-70 years. There are now over 360 such bridges in Lithuania, » Martynas Gedaminskas, CEO of Via Lietuva, warned.
The situation on the roads is not in the days, but in hours, but there is no money for it.
« Funding could be bigger. We have preparation, projects and other work planned, we could, with a larger volume and more projects, move forward, » said M. Gedaminskas.
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This year, road funding has been reduced by $ 27 million. euros.
« Military mobility has been used from the banking solidarity tax, which has ended. The problem is that if we want to have new projects, to dedicate and repair roads or bridges for military mobility, we need to look for extra money, » explained Minister of Transport and Communications Eugenijus Sabutis.
The Government is taking the Road Funding Reform – the Road Fund is being developed.
« We would like the fund to have about EUR 400 million and the rest would make up the state money, which would make up about a billion euros, » said Sabutis.
But the fund must come from somewhere. It is planned to install the E-Tolling in Lithuania-an electronic road toll system. Most of the freight transport would pay for the kilometers they had traveled instead.
« This is an infrastructure fee and an additional CO2 fee. So far, to say how much it will be, what amount will be, it is too early, » the Minister of Transport and the Transportation said.
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The minister said the system was taken over from Poland, but does not disclose how much it will cost in Lithuania. In Poland, the fee for kilometers is between € 7 to € 30. Currently, Lithuania has 1.7 thousand. kilometers of paid roads, they will increase after the reform.
« A special project will soon be on the government table to determine the length of the roads, » promised E. Sabutis.
However, not all politicians see only benefits from a new reform.
« It is very important to arrange the roads so that the heavy machinery does not destroy the roads that are not applied now. If the main roads are charged and the other roads will drive and the roads will destroy them, » warned Kazys Starkevičius, a member of the Seimas.
I am trying to implement the electronic road toll from 2018, but unsuccessfully.
« Because of progress, I would say yes, but because of bureaucratic obstacles, I am not guaranteed yet, » Starkevich said.
The fund should start operating next year. Most of the funds, about 200 million. It is planned to collect from electronic road tolls.
