A pond in the middle of the street sounds absurd, but if it's Dīķa Street (literally – pond street), it's also ironic. People have shared photos and videos on social media of cars getting stuck in a giant puddle that has proved superior to vehicle capabilities.
It has been no surprise to residents of local neighborhoods for several years, but nobody is happy about the situation.
“The locals, at least I as a local, don't drive down this street because I'm scared of breaking my car.But obviously very many are driving here and it ended very unsuccessfully in these last three days,” said Nelda, a resident of Bieriņi.
Bieriņi resident Mārtiņš said: “The kids are walking to school here and then they say they see every day that someone is stuck there.”
A Jeep was stuck there Tuesday morning. By the time the LTV filming crew arrived, it was gone. Vitālijs, a resident of Ziepniekkalns, had come to help. “I think there used to be some road here, now I don't think there is. And so every now and then a car lands here, then calls for help,“ Vitālijs said.
Rīga City Council indicated that this street section has not been built and is not intended for driving. The section has been removed from the navigation app Waze, but Google Maps still offers to use it.
This stretch of street will be lined with concrete blocks the following week or later.
“The city as a whole has several such unbuilt streets, and also in previous years we have faced and have been forced to close separate territories in this way,” said Jānis Vaivods, acting director of Riga City Council's Outdoor and Mobility Department.
This section of the street is not planned to be built in the next five years, because the city has more important building projects, besides, the road does not lead to any property not accessed by other roads. But drivers aren't the only ones taking advantage of the section. There's the railway station Turība, and here people walk, too.
“But here people get out [of the train]. I, too - I live here - sometimes I can't get through here, I have to walk around all that way, it's madness!” complained Alberts, a resident of Ziepniekkalns.
The City Council replied that the comfort of pedestrians could be considered and improved when favorable weather conditions set in.
