Traffic restrictions in Vilnius for major wastewater infrastructure project

Vilnius is set to experience traffic disruptions on T. Narbuto Street, one of the city's busiest, as "Vilniaus vandenys" begins a significant infrastructure project. The company will construct a 7-kilometer wastewater collection line and reconstruct a wastewater pumping station, with a total investment of 10.1 million euros.

Saulius Savickas, CEO of "Vilniaus vandenys," stated that the project is essential for reliably managing the growing volume of wastewater in the city and enhancing infrastructure resilience. "We aim to solve two challenges: adapting wastewater infrastructure to the needs of a constantly growing city and increasing its resilience to changing climate," Savickas explained. He noted the increasing frequency of daily rainfall norms occurring within minutes and the need to transport rainwater from mixed wastewater networks to the Vilnius wastewater treatment plant.

The first phase involves upgrading the central city wastewater pumping station on G. Baravyko Street. This includes replacing internal pipelines and fittings, installing two additional pumps with a capacity of 1100 cubic meters per hour, and a 1000 kW generator to ensure continuous operation during power outages.

The second phase, running concurrently, will establish a third 7 km pressure wastewater collection line on the section from G. Baravyko to J. Rutkausko streets. These upgrades will increase the pumping station's capacity in the city center by 30 percent.

To minimize inconvenience, "Vilniaus vandenys" plans to conduct most of the work during the summer when traffic is typically lighter. However, temporary traffic restrictions will be in effect from June 1 until the end of the year. Specifically, the rightmost lane on T. Narbuto Street near the intersection with Laisvės Avenue will be closed for exiting towards Viršuliškės. Sections of the first lane between Paribio Street and Laisvės Avenue will also be closed in stages due to excavation work. Sidewalks will also be closed, with pedestrians and cyclists rerouted to the opposite side of the street via nearby crosswalks and a viaduct.