Akropole invests 7 million in transport infrastructure and the improvement of the vicinity

While continuing the construction of the multifunctional shopping and entertainment centre Akropole, which is situated at the land plot situated near Dienvidu bridge and Krasta street intersection, surrounded by Maskavas, Slavu and Salaspils streets, intensive work is being carried out on building the required infrastructure and making improvements to the surrounding neighbourhood, in order to ensure a smoother flow of traffic and safer movement for pedestrians. Akropole’s developers are investing a total of EUR 7 million in improving the vicinity, and currently two thirds of the work have already been carried out.

“Our aim is to create a shopping centre that brings new shopping and entertainment experience to the visitors, therefore we focus not only on the building itself but also on the surroundings. Ease of access and visitors' convenience is our top priority, therefore after the completion of construction work the city will acquire a significantly improved traffic infrastructure for a much more orderly and comfortable transport flow. Pedestrians, too, will find getting about much more convenient and pleasant,” says Akropole Rīga CEO and Akropolis Group Board Member Kaspars Beitiņš. “We realise that traffic restrictions during repair work tend to cause inconvenience and that changes to one’s usual route can cause confusion, but we wish to stress that the inconvenience will be temporary – when the landscaping and traffic infrastructure improvement work is done, the neighbourhood will be beautiful, clean and tidy, and will delight both Rigans and visitors to the city.”

In order to make manoeuvres safer and more convenient, driving along Maskavas Street towards the suburbs, the ring road will be moved and rebuilt. New tram and bus stops will be built on this road. There will also be a possibility to install ticket machines at these stops. Moreover, a separate overpass will be built over Maskavas Street, which will ease the overall traffic flow and make it easy to access Akropole for visitors coming from city centre via Krasta iela. As part of the work to improve transport infrastructure, the section of Salaspils Street next to the shopping centre will be rebuilt, the road will be expanded, two driving lanes will be built in both directions, and in alignment with Riga municipality a new public transport stop will be built with a traffic signal controlled pedestrian crossing so that it is safer for pedestrians to cross the road. In addition, pedestrian paths will be made convenient and illuminated, while two stops with pedestrian crossings will be modernised. On Slāvu Street, the ring road will be expanded, where henceforth there will be two lanes instead of one. Significant investments will also be made in the construction of a new technical loop that will make it possible for trams to turn around, thus improving the tram traffic infrastructure in the vicinity.

In addition to infrastructure improvements, greenery will be planted

In addition to traffic and infrastructure improvements, the Akropole shopping and entertainment centre also plan to carry out major landscaping and greenery work on the surrounding environment. It is planned to plant over 700 young conifers, deciduous trees and shrubs, including hundreds of saplings. A modern outdoor playground will be created so that children of various ages can have fun during their free time. To as great an extent as possible, the playground will be surrounded by greenery, thus separating it from the surrounding urban environment. Regardless of the season, the blooming accent of Akropole’s greenery will bring smiles to visitors’ faces – starting from early spring right up to the first autumnal frosts. In turn, during the winter season, the vicinity will be adorned by various evergreen and decorative shrubs. It is also envisaged that large trees will be planted within the grounds, including the red oak and the red maple, which will help to soften the noise made by traffic. Lawn will cover the remainder of the free space.

As announced earlier, it is planned to open the multifunctional shopping and entertainment centre Akropole in 2019, and that its total area will cover approximately 98,000 square metres. Of these, 90,000 square metres will be retail space, while about 10,000 will be allocated to office space. On two storeys at the Akropole multifunctional shopping centre, not only well-known fashion and lifestyle brands already loved by the customers will be represented, but also brand-new stores not yet seen in Latvia, alongside 20 cafés and restaurants, as well as a modern gym. Visitors of the shopping and entertainment centre will also have extensive entertainment options, including a cinema with an IMAX screening room, the O’Learys entertainment zone and a big indoor ice rink.