Riga City Council Approves Port Relocation from the City Center to Krievu Island

On the basis of reviewed paperwork analysis, the Environment State Bureau has concluded that in general the planned activities on Krievu Island comply with the rules, regulating use of the relevant territory, except for the northern part of the island, therefore solutions, related to planned activities, shall be amended with the aim to preserve natural territory there.

It is planned to build seven berths for accommodating vessels with tonnage exceeding 1350 tons on currently undeveloped territories of Krievu Island with total area of 64.6 ha, as well as to transship approximately 22 million tons of cargo every year, including approximately 12 million tons of coal.

By implementing planned activities, the certain part of port operations would be relocated from the city center and the left bank of the River Daugava to Krievu Island, with the aim to ensure balanced traffic flows on both banks of the River Daugava and reduce amount of sea-bound cargo traffic in the vicinity of Riga center.

It is planned to build a railway freight station in the middle part of Krievu Island with the throughput capacity of 600 freight cars/day or 3820 freight trains per year, thus it is planned to transship 36 000 tons/day or 13 million tons/year.

As for estimated road cargo turnover on the newly developed territory of Krievu Island , it is assumed that it can reach up to nine million tons /year, that is equivalent to 225 000 trucks per year or 26 trucks per hour at steady flow of trucks, the said flow might actually increase due to irregular cargo supply probability.

With the aim to ensure Krievu Island railway connection to city network the SJSC "Latvijas Dzelzceļš" shall develop and implement Riga railway network, stations and connecting railway tracks reconstruction project to serve the Freeport of Riga. Reconstruction of existing "Bolderāja" freight station and development of a new "Bolderāja-2" freight station on the left bank of the River Daugava is included into the scope of the project.

To ensure traffic flow capacity, that is indispensable for port operation on Krievu Island, the Riga City Municipality shall accomplish reconstruction of Daugavgrivas street, and the Freeport shall carry out reconstruction of Zila Street up to Daugavgrivas highway, by converting it into four- lane road with separated sidewalks and connecting it to Daugavgrivas highway by regulated crossroads with traffic lights.

According to Environment State Bureau, the Freeport‘s of Riga operation development on Krievu Island can have significant impact on air quality improvement in regards of particulate matter PM10 concentration in Andrejsala and in Eksportosta areas. At the same time, according to the above mentioned assessment, the permissible pollution levels, stipulated by regulatory enactments, will not be exceeded in the residential areas, located close to Krievu Island.

There are no feasible forecasts, that noise, generated by operation of cargo handling terminals, located on Krievu Island, in the long-term perspective will exceed noise limit values on the territories of the nearest residential buildings.

As reported, Freeport of Riga relates to Krievu Island development in the framework of its plans to relocate coal handling operation to Krievu Sala from Andrejsala, where the future Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art will be built. Krievu Island is located within port territory, and it is planned to create green area in the northern part of the island, on the land plot of approximately 3 ha, where it is possible to create a nature reserve.