Water Transport Infrastructure

In the pages of Lithuania’s transport history Port of Klaipėda plays a significant part – it is our only sea route to foreign markets and Lithuania’s ice free gates to the World, that are open all year round, bringing us export, import, partnership, investment, tourism, international cooperation and growth opportunities.

Increasing volumes of cargo handling, incoming ships of larger tonnage are gratifying. It indicates increasing importance of the port for the country’s economy, international transfers of cargos and passengers. There is no time to rest, it is the best timing to use assistance and opportunities offered by European Union and increase capacities of our port, modernise and make it more competitive in ship, cargo and passenger service.

The Port of Klaipėda is granted with EUR 137,2 mln from EU Cohesion fund and EUR 3,68 mln from European regional development fund.

EU assistance will help to complete plans and reach the targets: construction of dock for small and recreational vessels, deepening of waters, deepening and widening of the port entrance.

Klaipėda State Seaport Authority and JSC “Lithuanian railways” are planning 12 joint projects that will improve cargo and passenger service at the Port of Klaipėda and ensure safe and continuous cargo transportation to and from the port.

Klaipėda State Seaport Authority is planning to implement two projects that will improve incoming roads to multimodal cargo terminals on southern part of the port. The current condition of the roads is not suitable for heavy traffic. The city suffers, because road surface is damaged, traffic jams, pollution and noise are increasing. After the repair, the capacity and safety of roads will increase, it will integrate with other means of transport and shipping lines will have better connection with European highway Vilnius-Kaunas-Klaipėda.

Investing in the Port of Klaipėda is investing into the business and wealth of Lithuania. It would not take long to regain the funds dedicated to port improvement, modernisation and development. When Port of Klaipėda will become the centre of container distribution, the development of the Baltic Sea region will become more rapid, more jobs will be created and export will be promoted.

One of the largest planned projects is the arrangement of infrastructure for passenger and cargo ferry terminals in the Port of Klaipėda. Passenger and cargo terminal near Smiltynė is under construction. Contemporart terminal will enable to serve more vessels, vehicles and passengers. This will improve business conditions and passenger service.
Lithuania is a sea country and that is why development, modernization and constant maintenance of Klaipėda Port will influence the future or the seaport city and the whole country, and development. When Port of Klaipėda will become the centre of container .

The number of small and recreational vessels is increasing and vessel traffic is getting heavier in Klaipėda Port. Therefore, small vessels are at risk. EU funds will be used to build a new 400 places dock for small and recreational vessels further from shipping channel, in the southern part of the port, so they would not have to cross a busy shipping channel and ferry route while heading to Curonian Lagoon.

One of the goals is the rebirth of cargo shipping in Lithuanian rivers. That is why a lot of attention is being paid to the construction of cargo dock in Kaunas, Marvelė. The dock of Marvelė should transship and store cargos brought by Nemunas river. This dock will promote the development of internal water transport, encourage the effective use of the internationally important Nemunas river route and will provide better conditions to direct some of the land cargo to water transport.

The EU funds will also be used to reconstruct hydro engineering buildings in Nemunas river from Kaunas to Curonian Lagoon. After the completion of this project, shipping conditions in this route will be improve. This will encourage further shipping  and reduce the erosion of the river banks.