Drivers traveling from or to Vilnius on the Molėtai highway will soon be greeted not by the infamous "concrete road", but by one of the most modern stretches of road in the country. Sustainable Urban and Infrastructure Development Company commissioned by the Lithuanian Motor Roads Directorate under the Ministry of TransportYIT Lithuania" carries out reconstruction works of the 14 km long section of the A4 road near Vilnius. During them, a modern four-lane road with two roundabouts and local roads with bicycle paths running parallel to both sides of the highway were installed.
In order to ensure the safety of all road users, an overpass for pedestrians and cyclists was also built over the new road, and an underpass was installed under the highway. The safety of not only people, but also animals has been taken care of - there are fences that prevent wild animals from escaping onto the highway, ramps with cattle barriers and even a special tunnel under the road for smaller animals. The latter is nicknamed the frog path, because its main purpose is to protect the migrating population of frogs between the lakes located on different sides of the road. Structures on both sides of this tunnel guide traveling frogs or other small animals in a safe direction.
When building the road, smart environmental solutions that allow preserving nature were also used. For example, part of the rainwater falling on the road is diverted to the green line, from which the water is drained to the oil waste disposal system. Purified water without pollutants is returned to the environment. In the event of a road accident, water and spilled pollutants can be trapped in the drainage system to prevent it from entering the environment.
"The reconstructed section of the A14 road is one of the most modern in the country in terms of engineering and customized infrastructure solutions. Due to the reconstruction, the traffic conditions when driving from Vilnius in the direction of Utena and Molėtai will be incomparably better. Modernization of road infrastructure is extremely important in order to increase road safety, reduce traffic congestion and the impact of transport on the environment," says Kęstutis Vanagas, head of YIT Lietuva.
The effective implementation of the project was helped by digital construction (BIM) solutions tested for the first time in this type of infrastructure project, which allowed the project participants to find and analyze the necessary information faster, make the necessary changes easier, manage risks better and avoid errors. BIM was used throughout the project implementation process.
Special "Mark SMA8" type asphalt was used for the top layer of the newly constructed road, which, due to its structural features, allows to reduce the level of traffic noise. To reduce the noise level, soundproof walls were also installed on both sides of the road.
All the asphalt used for the construction of the road was produced at the "YIT Lietuva" asphalt factory in Vilnius. During the implementation of the reconstruction project, a total of 67 thousand was used. tons.
An important artery of intercity communication - road A14 - was considered problematic for a long time due to the poor condition of the old road, high costs of its repair, defects threatening traffic safety and insufficient traffic capacity. The reconstruction works on the Molėtai highway section at the turn to Raudondvaris started in March of this year and will be completed at the beginning of November.
