Reconstruction of T. Narbuto Street starts – 100,000 residents will be able to travel more conveniently to the city centre

As part of the expansion of the cycle path network in Vilnius, one of the capital’s busiest links – T. Narbutas Street from Laisvės Ave. to Konstitucijos Ave. – will see the construction of new convenient cycle and pedestrian paths, as well as the redesign of the carriageway. According to the project prepared by Vilniaus Plan UAB, the carriageway of the street between Laisvės Ave. and T. Narbutas bus stop will be allocated an A lane for public transport, and the technical pavements will be replaced by greenery – a minimum of 75 trees and 8,000 bushes. Preparatory work will start at the beginning of June. The works will cover a 2.8 km long stretch of the street connecting the Karoliniškės, Justiniškės, Viršuliškių and Pilaitė districts with the city centre. Once the reconstruction works are completed, almost 100,000 residents of the surrounding districts will have better access to the central part of the city by public transport and by bicycle. The designers took care to preserve as much of the existing protected vegetation as possible, which is why the paths are narrower in places. The trees removed will be mainly invasive and unprotectable trees. In most places the footpaths will be the optimum width for this direction of traffic of 2.25 m, but will be widened up to 3 m in some places where possible, and only in narrower areas due to private land or terrain will they be narrowed down to 1.5 m. It is envisaged that where the terrain allows the width of the cycle path will be 3.5 m. The width of the traffic lanes will comply with the requirements of the Building Regulation for a category B street and will be 3.25 m. The right turn lane into Sėlių Street will be extended, which will not only make turning safer but also reduce the likelihood of congestion at peak times. In addition, a separate lane for public transport will be provided from Laisvės Ave. to the T. Narbutas bus stop, making traffic flow even smoother for its users. For the safety of the most vulnerable road users – pedestrians and cyclists – the traffic light pedestrian crossing near Stumbrų Street will be redesigned, a bicycle crossing will be installed across Saltoniškių Street, and safety islands will be installed at the entrances and exits from T. Narbutas Street to the so-called Edukologijos Ring. Lokių Street, which crosses T. Narbuto Street, will also be changed to make it more convenient for pedestrians and cyclists. With the bicycle path, car traffic will remain one-way. The installation of the cycle path and the A lane in T. Narbuto Street is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2023 and will be contracted to UAB Kerista.