Lithuania expands wildlife‑collision protection on major highways

The state‑run road operator Via Lietuva will install about 90 km of wildlife‑collision protection systems on Lithuania’s national roads in 2024, allocating roughly €8 million for the work. The new installations will cover stretches of the A1 (Vilnius–Kaunas–Klaipėda) and A2 (Vilnius–Panevėžys) motorways, as well as the A6 (Kaunas–Zarasai–Daugpilis) route.

The ministry says a thousand animal‑vehicle collisions were recorded last year, prompting the rollout of fenced corridors, underground passages, green bridges, variable‑message signs and other measures to steer animals away from traffic. To date, more than 900 km of protective fences, 16 small‑animal underpasses, 17 large‑animal underpasses, two green bridges and integrated wildlife‑deterrent systems have been built.

Transport Minister Juras Taminskas emphasized that driver vigilance remains essential, while Via Lietuva’s infrastructure development head Justas Norbutas noted the systems target high‑traffic sections where collision risk is greatest. By 2035, the programme aims to add 12 additional small‑animal underpasses, 12 large‑animal underpasses and four green bridges.