"Valued at 1.3 million euros, works are now being done by Kauno Tiltai. And they are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year," Remigijus Lipkevicius, director of the LRA, told BNS.
There's no traffic going via the Panemune bypass right now as the works are ongoing.
The bypass was built by Latvian and Lithuanian companies Latvijas Tilti and Kauno Keliai for more than 26 million euros but major defects were later identified. The companies refused to cover the costs of repairs, therefore, the LRA decided to procure new works and turn to court for the compensation of additional costs.
The LRA chief says a lawsuit has not been filed yet as the damage is being calculated.
Following several years of discussions, Lithuania and Russia in October 2011 signed an agreement on the construction of a new bridge over the River Nemunas and its access roads.
The new bridge between Panemune and Sovetsk, a town on the Russian side of the border, is expected to help increase the capacity of border checkpoints between Lithuania and the Russian exclave.
The 26.25-million-euro Panemune bypass was used only by border services before the repair works began. The authorities planned to open it to all traffic after Russia completes building the new bridge and the necessary infrastructure on its side of the border.
The bypass project received 10 million euros in EU funding.