The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so this part of the city needs special development. Some time ago, a survey of the Old Town was carried out to find out which parts of the Old Town are more deteriorated and where renovation is most urgently needed. The choice was in favor of Vaļņu Street.
"There have also been a lot of opinions about whether there should be parking and traffic in the Old Town. What is clear is that the current setting for this project is pedestrian priority. This does not mean that this will be exclusively a pedestrian street, but it does mean that pedestrians should be safe to move around and that they are the main priority," said Evelīna Ozola, Chief Urban Designer at the City Architect's Department of the Riga City Council.
This will be achieved through street design, for example by narrowing the carriageways.
The central area of the project is Vaļņu Street from Smilšu Street to 13. janvāra Street, the reconstruction works will also affect Teātra Square and 1991 Barricades Square, Meistaru Street, Kalķu Street from Meistaru Street to Aspazijas Boulevard, Audēju Street (from Kalēju Street to Aspazijas Boulevard), a small section of Amatu Street, and the reconstruction of Vaļņu Street's connections with Aspazijas Boulevard and 13 January Street is also planned.
The project will include the construction of new pedestrian infrastructure on Vaļņu Street and adjacent streets, changes to the traffic organization and adaptation of the infrastructure to pedestrian needs.
It will also renew the street pavement, combining historical paving with modern solutions to ensure environmental accessibility.
Utility networks will also be partially rebuilt. Modern landscaping, greenery, and lighting will be installed to make the environment more pleasant for residents and tourists, and interactive billboards and information signs of a uniform design will be created.
The street works are planned to be completed by the end of 2029. The total funding for the project is more than EUR 8.6 million, of which EUR 5 million is co-financed by the European Union. In addition, Riga Water Ltd plans to spend around EUR 3.1 million on infrastructure reconstruction.
