Rīga risks having to pay back EU funding for non-functional bike ramp

The Mayor of Rīga Vilnis Ķirsis said he knows of such a risk. At the same time, he pointed out that the Riga City Council had carried out the reconstruction works on the Ģenerāļa Radziņa Embankment, where the cycle ramp is located, within the set deadlines and in good quality with the EU funding it had received.

Therefore, in Ķirsis' opinion, it would not be fair for the European Commission to assess the work as incomplete, as the cycle ramp will not be functional for reasons beyond the control of the Riga City Council. Therefore, the City Council will still discuss this issue with the Transport Ministry.

Ķirsis also mentioned that the works had been carried out in the wrong order - the bridge should have been built first, and only then the cycle ramp should have been built on top of it.

Asked how much of the EU funding was used specifically for the ramp, Ķirsis said it was around EUR 600,000.

The reconstruction of the Ģenerāļa Radziņa Embankment was carried out as part of the Rail Baltica project to integrate rail infrastructure into the infrastructure of Riga city center. The total project budget was planned at €28 million. The EU Cohesion Fund contributed the most - €23.8 million, while the municipal and state budget subsidies amounted to €4.2 million. The actual cost of the facility will be just over €26 million.