On Monday, the Project Supervision Commission of the physical barrier with Belarus chaired by the Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė was presented how the project is being handled by the representatives of EPSO-G Group implementing the project. A concertina barrier has already been built in all the most sensitive sections of the border, fence segments are currently being installed in them, and construction has accelerated in the second phase of the project. There are currently about 600 workers mobilized at the border to build the barrier.
More than 170 kilometres of concertina pyramid have already been laid in the most important sections of the border with Belarus. This figure includes both the concertina installed under the EPSO-G Group project and barrier fences previously built by the military and firefighters.
The installation of the physical barrier is being carried out successfully despite the winter weather conditions. The ground frost helps to install a barrier in wetlands and makes movement of heavy machinery on the forest roads of the border section easier.
The installation works of the concertina have already been completed in the sections of the first stage of the project – Druskininkai, Barauskas, Adutiškis, Kabeliai and Kapčiamiestis border barriers. Due to the large number of illegal immigrants, it was decided to install the concertina pyramid in these areas first. Fence segments in the first stage sections must be installed by April 30, and the entire physical barrier on the border with Belarus will be installed by September.
In two sections of the second phase of the project – in the southern section of about 100 kilometres and in the northern section of about 70 kilometres – companies ‘Kauno tiltai’ and ‘Alkesta’ are working under a joint venture agreement, in the south-eastern section of about 100 kilometres – company ‘Brosta’. The eastern section of about 100 kilometres is worked on by EPSO-G Group company ‘Tetas’.
When installing the physical barrier right along the state border with Belarus, a concertina pyramid of 5 or 6 spirals is installed first, along with fence segments next to it on the Lithuanian side. Made in accordance with SBGS requirements, segments of the fence that are adapted to adverse climatic events and soil impacts are mounted to poles secured in the ground. A concertina spiral is attached to the top of the fence, and the full height of the fence with the spiral reaches 4 metres.
The Project Supervision Commission is chaired by the Prime Minister and includes the Ministers of the Interior, Energy, National Defence, Environment and Finance, the SBGS Commander, the Head of the State Territorial Planning and Construction Inspectorate under the Ministry of Environment, and a representative of EPSO-G Group implementing the Project.
