Traffic across the Salaca River in Salacgriva has been routed via a temporary bridge since August 30 of last year, after the old, deteriorated bridge was demolished to make way for a new one. The temporary bridge, which can carry loads of up to 52 metric tons, is expected to remain in use until the fall of this year, when the new bridge is scheduled for completion.

However, frequent issues with the temporary bridge have caused severe traffic congestion in Salacgriva, as the structure is not suited to heavy traffic and requires regular repairs, according to the Latvian public broadcaster's online news portal LSM.

Since February 28, trucks weighing more than 44 metric tons have been prohibited from using the temporary bridge. The roads authority explained that the steel plates covering the bridge's deck frequently crack under heavy traffic, requiring additional plates to be welded in place — work that necessitates a full closure of the bridge during repairs.

Replacing the plates will take about a week, during which time the temporary bridge in Salacgriva will be closed to all vehicle traffic. Pedestrians will still be allowed to use the bridge.

The new bridge is being constructed from reinforced concrete and will feature a four-span beam design with new supports and steel girders. It will also include pedestrian infrastructure.

The total cost of the project is €14.972 million, excluding VAT. Construction of the new bridge is being co-financed through the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) under its military mobility program.

The bridge over the Salaca River (Salatsi in Estonian) is located on the A1 highway between Riga and Tallinn and forms part of both the European transport network (TEN-T) and the E67 European route, also known as the Via Baltica corridor.

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