Villagers claim substantial financial losses amounting to around €5 million due to disorganized traffic management
In a recent meeting with officials from the Ministry of Transport, residents of Medemciems expressed their continued demands for the construction of a double-level overpass. The intersection in question, known to be one of the most problematic places in the national road network in terms of traffic safety, has seen a significant reduction in accidents following a traffic improvement project.
Verners Akimovs, Member of the Board of Latvian State Roads, stated that the project has addressed the safety issues at the intersection. However, the residents are not satisfied, citing an additional 18.5 million kilometres travelled and 264,000 hours spent on the road due to the lack of the overpass. Over the past five years, they claim that the extra seven kilometres of daily travel have resulted in a total loss of €5.3 million for households.
Akimovs also specified that the investment is made in areas where serious accidents occur. This implies that the intersection in Medemciems was a priority due to its problematic traffic safety. Edgars Klētnieks, advisor to the Minister of Transport, mentioned that there are parishes and towns in Latgale where the roads are not even asphalted, suggesting that the condition of the roads in Medemciems is better compared to some other areas.
Reno Brinķis, another resident of Medemciems, stated that the double-level overpass is the most appropriate solution. Despite the traffic improvement project, Daiga Rugāja, a resident, questioned whether citizens should have to pay for the government's failures out of their own pockets.
The planned double-stage handover in Medemciems is scheduled to be constructed by the year 2025. However, the statement from the Ministry of Transport implies no immediate plans for the construction of the double-level overpass in Medemciems. The state police have been involved in addressing the traffic safety issues at this intersection.
The meeting was held on Wednesday, 2 April, to discuss the broken promise to build a double-level overpass in Medemciems. Latvian State Roads did not provide any information about the current plans to build the double-level overpass. The residents have indicated that they will not give up their demands for the construction of the overpass, hoping for a safer and more efficient solution to the ongoing traffic issues.
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