LTG Infra wants to terminate Rail Baltica bridge contract
CROSS-BORDER: LTG Infra has moved to terminate Italian contractor Rizzani de Eccher’s contract for the 1.51 km Rail Baltica viaduct over the River Neris in Lithuania, citing work delays, unpaid subcontractors and a real risk the bridge will not be completed on time. Rizzani de Eccher has rejected the assessment and says the contractual relationship remains fully in force.
LTG Infra announced its intention to terminate the EUR 64m contract with Rizzani de Eccher, awarded in April 2022 to build the longest railway bridge in the Baltic states. Roughly half the work has been completed, according to LTG Infra.
The infrastructure manager has been monitoring Rizzani de Eccher’s financial position since 2023. The decision to move toward termination follows what LTG Infra describes as serious breaches of both the delivery schedule and the contractor’s obligation to pay subcontractors.
Contract breach and financial strain
“There is a real risk that the bridge will not be delivered on time with this contractor,” Arūnas Rumskas, acting CEO of LTG Group, said. “We cannot tolerate gross breaches of contract.”
He confirmed that LTG Infra has paid Rizzani de Eccher in full for all verified and completed works. Subcontractors left unpaid by the Italian company have no direct claim against LTG Infra and must seek payment from Rizzani de Eccher directly.
Rizzani de Eccher has firmly rejected the assessment. The company says the contractual relationship remains fully in force while the notification period runs, and that work on the viaduct is continuing. The company characterised LTG Infra’s decision to make the dispute public as premature, inaccurate and seriously damaging — and as a breach of the contract’s confidentiality and good faith obligations.
New tender under preparation
LTG Infra is preparing a new tender for the remaining work, which covers the columns and the bridge deck. The infrastructure manager estimates that a new contractor would need just over a year to complete the structure.
Lithuania’s transport minister Juras Taminskas said resuming construction is the government’s absolute top priority. Rail Baltica must be complete by the end of 2030, the minister said — a deadline that leaves little room for a fresh procurement cycle.
The Neris viaduct’s design keeps the main 150-metre span 40 metres above the river, with no piers in the water, a requirement shaped by Natura 2000 environmental constraints. Lithuania currently has 114 kilometres of Rail Baltica under contract, with 8.8 kilometres of track already laid.