Improving infrastructure is changing the face of Southern Vilnius

Facts:

• Vilnius’ Southern bypass, the length of which is almost 8 km, was opened in 2013. It connects newly built skyway with the new overpass above Galvė street. The worth of the project is 63,4 mln. euros.
• Vilnius Western bypass will connect international transport corridor Kiev-Minsk-Vilnius-Klaipėda with Vilnius-Panevėžys highway. First two stages of building the bypass have already been implemented, the III stage is expected to be finished in 2017. It is planned that the total cost of constructing all three stages will be approximately 192,3 mln. Euros.
• After NØRDIKA opens, about 195 thousand residents of Vilnius and its suburbs will be able to reach IKEA and NØRDIKA shopping malls in 5-10 minutes. Moreover, about 430 thousand residents of Vilnius and its suburbs will be able to reach IKEA and NØRDIKA shopping malls by car in 10-20 minutes.
• Vilnius municipality has also planned other projects which are oriented towards the expansion of the infrastructure of southern Vilnius. Among them are a new bicycle road, another road that connects Žirniai street and airport and a station of the train connecting Vilnius airport and Bus station near NØRDIKA and IKEA shopping malls.

M. Miseliunas, Koba Living Investment and rental department director: businesses believe in the prospect of Southern Vilnius
The development of Southern Vilnius is determined by the successful infrastructure projects such as construction of Tūkstantmetis street, which has connected the roundabout of Savanoriai and the street of Zirniai, or the emergence of Vikingu street that has become the second road to the airport. According to Mr. Miseliunas, these factors created good conditions for the settlement of IKEA shopping centre and NØRDIKA shopping valley, which is due to open its doors in September.
“Seeing the progress made business believe in the prospects of Southern Vilnius. New roads allowed to comfortably reach the territories which were hard to get to in the past. That is why the investors from abroad decided to create new shopping centres in the Southern part of Vilnius”, says Mr. Miseliunas.

According to Mr. Miseliunas, smaller companies and offices will follow the big fishes in Southern Vilnius. The expert notes that improving transport infrastructure, new shopping centres and other places will encourage new residents to move in as well – it is still cheaper to buy a house here than in the other districts. Moreover, the city’s centre and Old Town is way closer, when compared to Northern part of the city. Moreover, after opening of IKEA, residents from all around Vilnius discover it is very convenient to visit Southern Vilnius for shopping.
“Some Vilnius residents still believe that the Southern Vilnius, locations near the airport are located somewhere far away, although that is not true – even though this district is in the city’s periphery, it is much closer to the centre than, let’s say, Perkunkiemis. When the construction of the III stage of Vilnius bypass will be over and the perception that Vilnius South is a quickly and conveniently accessible part of the city will take root, the movement of business and residents to this place will accelerate even more”, Mr. Miseliunas says.
As stated by Mr. Miseliunas, the whole city will get the benefit from the development of Southern Vilnius – the traffic flows will be adjusted more evenly and the traffic jams in other parts of the city will be reduced.
R. Matoniene, deputy director of Vilnius municipality administration City’s development department: infrastructure of Vilnius will develop further
According to Ruta Matoniene, developing the Southern part of Vilnius together with the business and industry that is being created is municipality’s priority and the city will bring all the conditions needed in order to keep the development going. According to general plan of Vilnius, even more commercial, administration and industry projects are planned to be developed near to the airport, IKEA and NØRDIKA.
Further investments in infrastructure are planned in the future. New bicycle track, leading to Southern Vilnius is scheduled, also there are plans to build one more road that would connect Zirniu street and the airport. One more thing, that municipality is going to discuss in the future is an additional stop near IKEA and NØRDIKA for a train, that is going from the train station to Vilnius airport.
The emergence of new shopping centres is beneficial for the city, says Mrs. Matoniene. According to her, in adition to the facts that they bring taxes, create jobs and provide contemporary services, new shopping centres have some unique benefits as well. Having settled on the outskirts of the city in a conveniently reachable place, the shopping centres of Southern Vilnius reduce the traffic jams in the city, while good geographical location attracts foreign visitors.
“It is a common practice in the world that shopping centres, business parks, hotels and offices emerge next to the airports. I can guess that more objects of this type will emerge in the future. In the planning documents we allow and encourage this kind of expansion and whether it is going to happen depends on the businessmen, on whether they will be able to consolidate the land plots from individual owners”, – noted Ms. Matoniene.
P. Morris, the investor of NØRDIKA shopping valley: businesses will change the shopping habits of Vilnius residents
Peter Morris, the main investor of the upcoming NØRDIKA shopping valley that will open soon and which is being built just right the IKEA shopping centre, believes that it will change the shopping habits of Vilnius residents. According to him, NØRDIKA will encourage the residents of Vilnius to go shopping outside the city, where you could find plenty of parking space and no traffic jams.
“In many Scandinavian and Western Europe countries it is normal to go shopping not in the city, in which difficult traffic conditions cost lots of time and frustration, but outside of it, where you can find no traffic jams and plenty of parking lots. This conception is comfortable both for customers as well as the development of the city”, says Mr. Morris.
Vikingu street, in which NØRDIKA is settling, is very conveniently reachable by car. It is estimated that 200 thousand people live in the area from which you can reach NØRDIKA in 5 to 10 minutes. When the Western bypass is finished, this number will increase several times.
“In the past all big shopping centres were built in the Northern Vilnius. Now the situation is changing: thanks to IKEA, many Vilnius residents shop in the South, and when NØRDIKA will open its doors, this process will accelerate even more. Moreover, after the Western bypass is finished, the new shopping centres will be easily reached from Fabijoniskes, Justiniskes, Karoliniskes and Lazdynai districts in just 10 minutes”, – says an investor of NØRDIKA.