Baltic Breakthrough: Lithuania Advances Rail Baltica with Longest Railway Bridge Over Neris

Lithuania’s ambition to transform regional transport is materialising rapidly, as work progresses on the Rail Baltica corridor and its most iconic structure: the Neris Bridge.

According to LTG Infra, five contractors from Lithuania and Italy are currently constructing a 46.3 km section of the high-speed railway in the Jonava district, where the tallest pillars of the Baltic region’s longest rail bridge are now in place.

As reported by Rail Baltica, the Neris Bridge will span 1.51 km and rise up to 40 metres in height, making it one of the most complex railway infrastructure projects in Lithuania’s history. In compliance with strict Natura 2000 environmental standards, the bridge’s design avoids placing any supports directly into the riverbed, preserving the protected ecosystem.

"The Rail Baltica project is of strategic importance not only to Lithuania but to the entire Baltic region," said Lithuanian Minister of Transport Eugenijus Sabutis, who visited the site alongside LTG Group CEO Egidijus Lazauskas. "This rail link is vital not only for convenient transport connections but also for our national security," he added.

Concrete, Steel and Precision Engineering

The scale of the project is unprecedented. As Rail Baltica notes, nearly 376 deep foundation piles have been drilled to support the massive bridge structure. The superstructure will require 67,000 cubic metres of concrete and over 11,000 tonnes of steel reinforcement—enough to build 30 skyscrapers or 27 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Advanced construction methods are being used, including a sliding scaffolding system, to meet both technical and environmental challenges. Concrete decking is already underway, with equipment delivered specifically for this purpose.

According to LTG Infra, a high-speed train will cross the Neris Bridge in just 22 seconds, connecting Lithuania’s heartland to Latvia, Estonia, and eventually to Poland and Western Europe. The bridge is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with one-third of construction already finalised.

🎉 The construction of the longest bridge in the Baltic States - #RailBaltica railway bridge over the #Neris River was launched 🇱🇹

✅ Total length - 1,51 km, width - 13.9 m, height ~40 m above the river and its valley.

💡//t.co/IjvoHQPWhF#CEFTransport #LTG #NerisBridge pic.twitter.com/u31sF2IqF4

— RailBalticaOfficial (@RailBaltica) July 21, 2022

Broader Progress Along the Rail Baltica Route

Rail Baltica is the largest infrastructure project in the Baltic States, co-financed by the European Union and national governments. It will establish a fully electrified European standard gauge railway, linking Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia with Central and Western Europe.

This year, Lithuania plans to complete the first 10 km of embankment between Šveicarija and Žeimiai, featuring over 40 different engineering structures, some of which are already in use. In addition, track-laying will begin soon on this section. Another 17.7 km stretch toward Šėta is scheduled for completion in early 2026, according to LTG Infra.

The Ministry of Transport and LTG representatives recently held meetings with key project contractors, including Fegda and Rizzani de Eccher, to align on schedules and accelerate progress. Tenders for an additional 68 km of construction have been issued, bringing the total scope of active work to 114 km in 2025 alone.

National and Regional Integration at the Core

"This is not just a transport project," said LTG Group CEO Egidijus Lazauskas. "Rail Baltica is about economic resilience, military mobility, and deeper integration with the European Union’s transport grid. We are successfully achieving our annual targets and preparing the route design toward the Polish border, a crucial link in the broader corridor."

Minister Sabutis also pointed out the urgency of progressing both northbound to Latvia and southbound toward Poland, highlighting Rail Baltica’s role as a civilian and military corridor that connects the Baltics with the rest of Europe.

As Lithuania pushes ahead, the Rail Baltica corridor is quickly taking shape—physically, politically, and symbolically—as a project that aims to redefine connectivity and mobility in the region.

Sources: LTG Infra; Rail Baltica