Repair work on the Lankupiai Bridge is already underway, but it is not intended to be completely closed to pedestrians. The work is organized in stages to maintain connectivity.
“As much as we dismantle in a day, we restore the same day. We want to disturb people’s daily lives as little as possible. If it is unsafe to pass at a certain moment, the workers ask to wait a few minutes, and after finishing the work, they leave the bridge safe to use,” said Priekulė elder Daiva Bliūdžiuvinienė to the news portal VE.lt, just after visiting the bridge under repair.
According to her, the bridge is needed daily by local residents because it connects not only two banks of the Minija River but also two different districts.
“On one side of the river live the people of Lankupiai village, belonging to the Šilutė district, and on the other side – residents of the Klaipėda district. People walk across the bridge to visit each other, children travel on it, residents maintain daily connections. It is a very important link for the community,” the elder said.
If rainy weather or unforeseen technical difficulties do not interfere with the work, the repair is planned to be completed in about 20 working days.
During the repair, all wooden bridge structures are being replaced. The condition of metal parts is also being assessed – if heavily rusted or unusable elements are found, they will be replaced immediately.
The repair of the Lankupiai Bridge will cost about 28 thousand euros.
Ditava will be next in autumn
Even bigger work awaits the Ditava suspension bridge. The contract for construction work has already been signed, and work is planned to start in mid-October.
According to the elder, a bridge inspection was carried out before the project, which showed that part of the metal structures must be replaced. The necessary parts and cables have already been ordered according to individual dimensions.
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“These are not standard products – the parts are made specifically for this bridge. The contractor has already inspected the site, ordered the necessary structures, and plans to start work in mid-October,” said D. Bliūdžiuvinienė.
Unlike in Lankupiai, the Ditava bridge will be closed during repairs because the main supporting structures and cables will need to be replaced. The exact duration of the work will become clear once the repair begins, but it is expected to be completed this year.
Up to 80 thousand euros are allocated for the Ditava bridge.
Well recognized
Both so-called “monkey bridges” are not only means of communication for local residents but also symbols of the region. They often become tourist attractions, and in summer there is no shortage of pedestrians, cyclists, and water tourists here.
The Klaipėda district municipality emphasizes that the renovation of the bridges will ensure their safe use for many more years.
The Lankupiai suspension bridge over the Minija was built in the mid-20th century to ensure convenient pedestrian communication between settlements located on different banks of the Minija. It remains unique in that it connects not only two river banks but also two districts – Klaipėda and Šilutė.
The Ditava suspension bridge was also built in the last century to connect garden communities and settlements on both sides of the Minija. Over the years, it has become one of the most recognizable objects in this region. Local residents have long nicknamed both suspension bridges “monkey bridges” – this unofficial name stuck due to the easily swaying structures and is still used today.
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