Construction, Investments, Latvia, Legislation, Transport

The contract is for development of construction designs for the new tram line, renovation of some of the existing tram lines and for design supervision during the construction.

The designs are to be developed in five stages - two stages for the new tram lines, and three stages for renovation of the existing tram lines - and will have to be completed by spring 2020.

Rigas Satiksme's spokesman Viktors Zakis said that the company and the construction contractors had signed the Integrity Pact with the pro-transparency NGO Delna concerning implementation of the Riga tram infrastructure development project. "The Integrity Pact is an instrument for preventing corruption in public tenders financed or co-financed by the EU," he explained.

The total cost of the project is EUR 97.4 million, of which up EUR 65.66 million will come from the EU Cohesion Fund. Rigas Satiksme will contribute EUR 27.4 million to the project.

The project includes construction of a 3.6 kilometers long new tram line in the Skanste area in Riga and renovation of the infrastructure of some of the existing tram lines, arrangements for power supply, purchase of 12 new low-deck trams, development of a traffic management system as well as renovation of certain streets and re-arrangement of utility lines.