The Vanšu Bridge exit into Old Town shuts on Monday. Ten days, no way down to Pils laukums.
From Monday 19 October to Wednesday 28 October, Riga Council is closing Pils laukums (Castle Square) to traffic between Krišjāņa Valdemāra iela and Torņa iela, so drivers can’t leave Vanšu Bridge towards Pils laukums, the city announced.
Key facts
- Vanšu Bridge exit to Pils laukums: closed 19–28 October
- Pils laukums, Krišjāņa Valdemāra iela to Torņa iela: no cars, limited foot access
- Pils laukums junction by the Bank of Latvia: half-closed 19 October to 6 November, traffic sent via Noliktavas iela
- Weekends: one lane each way by the National Theatre for tram track works
- Why: the Torņa iela rebuild around the Arsenāls art museum
Why is the Vanšu Bridge exit closed?
Torņa iela is being rebuilt from Jēkaba iela to Arsenāla iela, part of the second stage of the Arsenāls art museum makeover, LSM reports. Crews need the room to finish the last underground utility work.
The job’s client, state property company Valsts nekustamie īpašumi (VNĪ), says the junction by the Bank of Latvia gets its rainwater drains hooked up this month. It closes one half at a time, through 6 November, with cars pushed onto parallel Noliktavas iela.
Will traffic be worse at the weekend?
Yes. Rīgas satiksme is relaying tram tracks by the Latvian National Theatre, and on Saturdays and Sundays that squeezes the road to one lane each way. Weekdays keep all four lanes.
With both jobs running, the city expects slow traffic around the centre and Vanšu Bridge at weekends. Its advice: pick another route ahead of time, allow extra time and follow the signs.
The payoff comes later. Torņa iela should be finished by next spring or summer, the Arsenāls building goes back to the museum in the second half of 2027, and the doors open to visitors in spring 2028, VNĪ says.
Ten days of detours. Leave early, Riga.
Photo: Vanšu Bridge at dusk — Svetlov Artem / Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
