Temporary lighting has been installed in the territory of The Great Cemetery and the pavement of pedestrian paths has been restored. Works have been carried out to ensure more convenient and safer movement for park visitors until the implementation of permanent solutions.
Edgars Bergholcs, Chairman of the City Development Committee of Riga City Council, explains:
“In spring, we promised the people of Brasa to find solutions to improve safety in the Great Cemetery. We agreed with the "Friends of the Great Cemetery" and the Brasa Neighbourhood Society on urgent issues, and these temporary solutions were adopted as the most optimal option for all parties. We have done what we promised and people in the Great Cemetery can now move more safely, because where it was possible, lighting was installed and damaged pedestrian paths were restored. We have carried out work that could be done in a short time and with limited financial resources. It should be stressed that these are only temporary solutions. At the same time, a working group has been set up, which has already started work to develop permanent solutions for the entire territory of the park.”
Before the start of the works, the technical condition of the park tracks was assessed in order to select the most suitable solutions and techniques, as well as to restore the largest possible area of the tracks within the framework of limited funding. Various methods have been used in the renovation of paths - in some places the old surface has been dismantled and a new one has been laid, in other places the new surface has been laid above the existing one, but in some places the pits have been repaired. In total, 1,200 m2 of track surface has been restored and another 300 m2 of pits have been repaired, restoring about 15-20% of the total amount of park tracks.
Temporary lighting has been installed on the main pedestrian path from Senču Street to Klijānu Street. Approximately 350 meters in length between the trees stretched ropes on which luminaires are placed.
Taking into account the historical environment, the design, colour and light intensity of the luminaires have been coordinated with the National Heritage Board, ensuring that they correspond to the lighting used in the rest of the cemetery area. Due to the wide area of the park, the specifics of the paths and the costs, it is currently not possible to install temporary lighting in all the places indicated by the residents. For example, in the section between Indranu and Miera Street, it cannot be installed due to the location of trees and limited funding.
Lighting and repair of paths are only temporary solutions, and according to the instructions of the National Heritage Board, their maximum service life is up to four years. Riga municipality has started work on the permanent reconstruction of the Great Cemetery, providing for conceptual reconstruction of all paths and permanent infrastructure development.
The total cost of implementing temporary solutions amounted to 98 226 euros. Works were carried out by the Outdoor Space and Mobility Department of Riga Municipality.