Kretingališki puzzle: when will the center of the town beautify?

In Kretingalė, one of the larger districts of Klaipėda district, bordering the seaside, there is not only beauty, but also problems. After the competition, the new elder is expected today, because the previous elder left to work in Klaipėda last year. Older residents of the town of Kretingale no longer expect to see a modernized center of the town. The Directorate of Road Vehicles of Lithuania (now called AB “Via Lietuva” – author’s note) did not fulfill its promises to fix the main street of Klaipėda.
The work does not stop
On the windowsill of the administration building of Kretingale township, one tree has several dozen nests instead of branches. The apartment building for the birds is still empty. March is just gaining momentum – snow sometimes whitens the ground, and the cold hardens it. “We are waiting for the return of the starlings that have been chirping on our windowsill for several years,” said Danguolė Urbienė, the elder’s assistant, smiling. – The idea of ​​former elder Žigints Narmonts was to make this composition of nests. They were made not only by the employees of the ward – schoolchildren and kindergarteners also joined the campaign.”
After the former head of the ward left at the end of December, he was replaced by Karina Novikova, the elder of Sendvaris, in recent months. “The work is carried out as usual in the precinct – if one person left, our activities were not disturbed,” assured the assistant of the prefect D. Urbienė, whose responsibilities have become much heavier this year. “There are a lot of problems in the ward – snow removal, road maintenance, environmental management and other problems.”
According to D. Urbienė, a competition was held at the beginning of February, in which 4 applicants for the position of elder took part, although 12 had registered. and added that the work of an elder is responsible. – A dedicated person must work here – everything can be overcome. The old man does not work alone – with a team, albeit a small one.”
There are more worries in the coastal area
D. Urbienė has been working in the Kretingale ward for almost 20 years – a large part of her life has passed here. “I like communicating with people, trying to solve their problems,” revealed the interviewer.
She knows this area very well, as she previously worked in the Directorate of the Coastal Regional Park, familiar with the laws and restrictions. “Kretingalė seniority is the only protected area in Klaipėda district bordering the seaside. Additional worries arise from this, – said the elder’s assistant. – Our borough is one of the largest in the area: at the beginning of this year, 6,366 residents had declared their place of residence here. In the town of Kretingale – 1,140, ​​and in the settlement of Kalote – 1,441.”
The elder’s assistant D. Urbienė is located on the edge of the ward – in the village of Šaipės. Danguolė, who hails from Klaipėda, admitted that she has been in love with the seaside since childhood – she used to spend summers at the “Žilvičius” camp. In their youth, both with her husband Remigius wanted to settle in Karkle, but they could not find a homestead for sale. However, the family managed to settle near the roaring sea.
“On my way to work, I see swamps in the crop fields, where geese, swans, ducks that have already flown are splashing around. It’s nice for the residents of Prašala to look at the soaring birds, but the farmers are sad because of the soaked areas, – said D. Urbienė. – At the end of last year – at the beginning of this year, a lot of rain fell – artificial ponds appeared in the fields. Due to the excess rainfall, the roads of the ward were also affected – we could not repair or grade them. Residents were indignant and wrote complaints. They want good roads, to be equipped with sidewalks, attractive footpaths, to beautify towns and villages – to create beautiful spaces. Active communities – Girkalės, Kretingalės, Karklės offer ideas, prepare projects and implement them.”
Broken promises are infuriating
Sigita Meškauskienė, an old resident who grew up in Kretingalė, remembers how decrepit the town once was – now a lot has changed, but the condition of Klaipėda’s main street is only getting worse. “I’ve been waiting all my life for it to be repaired, for sidewalks to be installed. After all, the edges of the asphalted road get flooded when it gets wet – you have to walk on the roadway, and the traffic here is very intense, so it’s dangerous. The center also needs to have a neat parking lot,” senior S. Meškauskienė taught.
In order to avoid mud and return home with dry feet, librarian Birutė Grybauskienė jokingly admitted that she travels through the courtyards of residential buildings.
“It’s a puzzle for all Kretinga residents, it’s a shame,” said S. Meškauskienė. – Kretingalė, one of the towns of the Klaipėda region, is visited by many German tourists in the summer. What do they think of this neglected historical corner? Driving around Lithuania, we see well-kept villages and towns. And why is there something terrible in the center of Kretingale? Who are the culprits? And we have been in the European Union for 20 years.”
The people of Kretingali are angry that for several decades there has been talk about the repair of Klaipėda street, sidewalks, the installation of a parking lot, the planned project, the estimated funds and… everything is lost somewhere. “A part of Klaipėda street at the end of the town has been repaired, and our side is left to the will of fate,” said elderly Sigita. “I won’t see Klaipėda street beautified anymore.”
The only consolation for the people of Kretinga is the summer, when there is a lot of greenery here. “The blooming linden trees are stunning – many people come here for a walk,” said S. Meškauskienė. “So we’re really looking forward to summer.”

The efforts of the Municipality of Bergždžia
Don’t the residents of Kretinga deserve a neat, beautiful town center? – we asked the municipality of Klaipėda district.
Laura Jankutė, a specialist in the Public Relations and Cooperation Department of the Municipal Administration, clarified that Klaipėdos Street in Kretingalė is not the property of the Municipality. “This road belongs to Via Lietuva AB, the former Lithuanian Motor Road Directorate (LAKD). Klaipėda street is completely unsuitable for such intense traffic: there are no sidewalks, lighting, other safety measures, the asphalt surface is worn out, extremely poor. Due to this situation, the municipality still in 2019. initiated the signing of the cooperation agreement with the then LAKD.
According to this contract, the Municipality undertook to contribute as much as 30% from its budget. near Klaipėda st. reconstruction, so that this road is included in the list of priority roads of LAKD. LAKD undertook to implement the works by 2022. end and finance 70 percent. the costs of all construction works of the project, including the preparation of geodetic photos, plots and cadastral measurement files of buildings”, emphasized L. Jankutė.
For the past three years, the Directorate has repeated that the 2019 the contract signed with the Municipality, which provides for the major repair of this road section and the residents will finally receive a fixed infrastructure, but nothing good has been done so far. “This shows that LAKD is not interested in fulfilling its obligations, which are foreseen in 2019. in the cooperation agreement signed with the Municipality, said L. Jankutė. – The municipality has repeatedly called on “Via Lietuva” (LAKD) to review the set goals and immediately take all possible actions and find solutions that would ensure that the preparation of solutions for the capital repair project of this facility is completed and their implementation in accordance with the signed cooperation agreement. The last prompt was re-sent a few weeks ago.”
LAKD matters did not move?
On Monday, Banga’s editorial office received a very laconic explanation from Saulius Jansons, communications manager of former LAKD and now newly renamed Via Lietuva AB, regarding the fate of Klaipėda Street in Kretingalė: “Currently, the project “Country Road of State Significance No. 168 Klaipėda-Kretinga section from 14,253 to 15,577 km capital repair” design works. The purchase of contract works is planned for next year, but it will depend on the allocated funding.”
However, at the end of last December, LAKD communication manager Saulius Jansonas informed “Banga” that the public procurement contract with the service provider was signed in 2021. in may According to S. Janson, in the contract, the provider undertook to prepare a technical work project within 11 months, it was supposed to be completed by 2022. May 1st “The Road Directorate has repeatedly approached the service provider, who promised to complete the technical work project, but considering the fact that the service provider is late for more than one and a half years, the service provider has been charged late fees. Despite this, the service provider continued to fail to fulfill its obligations, was slow to provide answers regarding the execution of the works”, S. Janson commented to “Bangai”.
We remind you that the LAKD communication representative in December explained that the Directorate of Roads, having evaluated the complex cooperation with the service provider, as well as the repeated non-fulfillment of the contractual obligations of the service provider, decided that the provision of high-quality services and the achievement of the contract result is no longer possible. However, the contract with the service provider was not terminated at the end of December: the company from 2023 December 18 in addition, a deadline of 30 calendar days was given to show initiative by proposing possible solutions to the situation. However, at the moment, it is not clear whether the service provider, who has not lifted a finger for so long, has really done something for the benefit of Klaipėda street?

Virginia LAPIENĖ
Author’s photo.