RIGA, Nov 19 (LETA) - Riga City Council has performed all preparatory work for renovation of Riga bridges during the next five years, Riga Mayor Vilnis Kirsis (New Unity) told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday after inspecting Zemitana Bridge that is currently being renovated.

Zemitana Bridge is the first Riga bridge to be renovated, said Kirsis. In his opinion, renovation of the bridge is proceeding at a good pace. Bridge renovation is not something that can be done in a few weeks, said Kirsis, adding that it involved a lot of work unseen by the public: negotiations with the government on funding, design, and others, before the actual renovation of the bridge could start.

Kundzinsala flyover is currently under construction, and the fourth stage of construction of Dienvidu (Southern) Bridge will start in the near future. VEF Bridge and flyover on Vairoga Street are next to be renovated.

Ķirsis said that these projects would proceed sequentially so that traffic restrictions, which affect all road users, had the least possible impact on the city.

Renovation of Zemitana Bridge began earlier in the fall and is expected to take about one-and-a-half years.

This past summer, Riga City Council decided at an extraordinary meeting to borrow EUR 20.5 million for renovation of Zemitana Bridge.

In total, renovation of the bridge will cost up to EUR 24.2 million. Of this amount, the municipality's co-financing is EUR 3.6 million.