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Latvian bridges in spotlight

A report into the state of Latvia's bridges shows that one in three in the country requires major works, with 100 structures in such poor condition they need immediate repair.
March 5, 2012 Read time: 1 min
A report into the state of Latvia's bridges shows that one in three in the country requires major works, with 100 structures in such poor condition they need immediate repair. Unless work is carried out, a large number of Latvia's bridges will have to be closed to traffic within two years. Around 1,000 of the country's bridges have reached the end of their design life and cannot carry the traffic load being handled at present. However, the Latvian state road network, Latvijas Valsts Celi (LVC) has a paltry €427,091 (US$585,949) available to repair bridges in 2011. The 1471 Latvian Ministry of Transport is keen to quash any alarm over the issue and has stated that the necessary funds will be found to ensure the country's bridges remain open.

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