Rēzekne overpass causes safety concerns

Crumbling pavements and nets at the bottom of the bridge are causing alarm among Rēzekne residents. Given that the problem was mentioned three years ago and is getting worse every year, residents are worried about their safety and the safety of their children when crossing the bridge.

Anastasija from Rēzekne: "There are big holes now, it is uneven. As a mother with a pram it is very dangerous - at any moment a wheel can fall into a hole. You can't cross the bridge with two people. You have to go one by one."

Rēzekne resident Alīna: "It's dangerous under the bridge because everything falls down. Now they have put up tarps, but I don't know how safe it is. If a bigger piece falls, someone could definitely get hit on the head."

The overpass has been linking the Northern District to the rest of the city since 1981. Following complaints from residents, the municipality this month awarded a contract to draw up a reconstruction plan.

"They [the problems] are related to the deterioration of the load-bearing structures in the part that concerns the pedestrian pavements. They also look visually not very attractive. At the moment, the pavements are not closed, but of course, we have to be careful," said Georgijs Orlovs, head of the Rezekne Urban Environment and Development Department.

No official can say whether the bridge is safe at the moment - this will be determined at the end of the year after a study by the design bureau "Projekts3".

The preliminary cost of repairing the viaduct is at least €5 million.

The municipality does not have a funding programme at the moment, but hopes to attract support from the government and ministries - specifically the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Defence.