Construction work at the Rudninkai military training area is progressing significantly faster than planned, with the first stage of the project nearing structural completion nearly a year ahead of schedule, the head of contractor EIKA Construction has said.
A wreath was raised on December 17 atop the future headquarters building of the German brigade to be stationed at the site, marking a traditional milestone in Lithuanian construction. German brigade commander Christoph Huber, who inspected the site, said the pace of work exceeded his expectations.
The first construction equipment arrived at the site exactly a year ago. Now, about 10 months ahead of schedule, structural work has been completed on 17 of the planned 18 buildings in the first phase.
Almantas Cebanauskas, head of EIKA Construction, said thorough preparation had helped accelerate the project.
“Our entire team lives by this project, believes in it and is making every effort to complete it 10 months earlier than planned,” Cebanauskas said. “We plan to finish this project until the end of next year.”
Interior finishing has already begun in some buildings, and several rooms where soldiers will live have been completed.
Huber said the rapid progress underscored Lithuania’s commitment to hosting the German brigade.
“I am very grateful to Lithuania for doing this so quickly. We see very significant progress in the construction of this military town,” he said. “This site is very important to us because it will be our home – my home and the home of my soldiers. We hope that until the end of 2027, about 3,800 soldiers will already be here.”
Construction managers said work was also underway on facilities including an armoury, while the brigade commander’s offices would be located in a separate building. The wreath was raised above the future headquarters as a symbolic moment marking the advancement of the works.
Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said the first phase gave grounds for optimism but urged caution as the tender results for the second phase had been announced.
“I would ask everyone for responsibility and understanding,” Kaunas said. “If circumstances are unclear or disputable, any court proceedings could delay the project’s implementation. That would pose a risk.”
Kaunas said no contracts had yet been signed with companies selected for the second phase and that they remained in a queue. Among the winners is Rudina, a joint company formed by Conres LT and Fegda.
Fegda previously carried out road construction work at the training area that was found to have defects. It also emerged that the State Security Department issued Fegda a lower-level reliability clearance. Kaunas said on December 17 in Rudninkai that he had not received any official assessments from state institutions indicating that the company posed security concerns. (LRT)