The bridge is in poor condition, and its need for renovation has been known for years.

"We want to receive two preliminary designs. One design should propose a non-opening bridge, and the other should propose a bridge that opens in the middle, similar to the historical first bridge," said Uno Kask, project manager at the city government's infrastructure and construction department.

Estimated costs are also expected for both options.

Kask said the bridge's piers will remain in place, but everything else will be demolished and rebuilt. The new structure will have two lanes of traffic, one in each direction, and pedestrian and cyclist lanes on both sides.

While the city government had previously planned to begin reconstruction of the bridge next year, Kask said this is no longer realistic at the current pace.

"I think a realistic timeline for the bridge to undergo reconstruction is 2027. That's because the design process alone takes nearly eleven months. The project should be completed by the end of 2026, and only then could we move forward with the construction tender," the city government representative said.

Kask was unable to predict how expensive the reconstruction would be. The Pärnu city budget strategy allocates €7 million for the design and renovation of the bridge over the next two years.

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