OGRE RIVER AND BRIDGES
As spring begins, the museum invites you to take educational walks and explore the Ogre River and its bridges, each shaped by historical events. The city of Ogre is adorned by its rivers Daugava and Ogre. Smaller rivers also flow through the city: Norupīte, Urga, and Lebiņa. As the city grew, some of these smaller […]
As spring begins, the museum invites you to take educational walks and explore the Ogre River and its bridges, each shaped by historical events.
The city of Ogre is adorned by its rivers Daugava and Ogre. Smaller rivers also flow through the city: Norupīte, Urga, and Lebiņa. As the city grew, some of these smaller rivers were hidden underground or within private properties. The Daugava and Ogre rivers have also changed their appearance and flow. But how has all this changed? The Ogre History and Art Museum offers a brief insight into the history of rivers and bridges in Ogre with illustrations, providing an opportunity to better understand how today’s city has developed.
OGRE RIVER CROSSING IN THE PAST
Initially, people and carts crossed the Ogre River on light-construction seasonal wooden bridges. The ancient trade route along the Daugava, up until the 20th century, century beginning, had no permanent and substantial bridge. At the confluence of the Ogre and Daugava rivers, a wooden bridge was built every year from spring to autumn. It was built annually by peasants as corvée labor, in return for which they could cross the bridge free of charge. During floods, a ferryman operated.
RAILWAY AND RAILWAY BRIDGE
The Ogre railway bridge is the oldest bridge in Ogre. It was built in 1861, and the establishment of the railway line created an opportunity to develop a resort here. The original appearance of the railway bridge differed significantly from its current one. It had iron beams and lattice trusses, or load-bearing elements. 19. At the end of the century, the railway bridge was rebuilt for heavier loads. The bridge suffered damage during World War I but was restored. 1944. In the year, the German army blew up the bridge during its retreat, and a new railway bridge was built. The last major reconstruction took place in 1970, when the bridge was adapted for two-way train traffic.
HIGHWAY BRIDGE
The second oldest bridge was built in 1907. It was 89 meters long with four-span riveted plate girder metal beams. It rested on three river piers and two bank masonry supports. This bridge was partially blown up during World War I, then restored, but blown up again during World War II. Afterward, a wooden structure bridge was installed on the old supports. It served for some time, but in the 20th century, century 50. decades, the structures were removed because they were not of sufficient quality and safety. 1956. when the new Riga-Daugavpils highway was built, a new reinforced concrete bridge was also constructed closer to Ogre Island, at the site of the current bridge. For a long time afterward, only the foundations of the old bridge were visible. Since the 20th century, century 90. decades, the city’s communication overpass has been located on the foundations of the oldest bridge, and it also serves as a pedestrian bridge.
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES
1966. the arched pedestrian bridge, now well-known to Ogre residents, was built. Its length is 96.2 meters, its arch span is 83 meters, and its designer is Ogre resident Voldemārs Salcevičs. Before that, pedestrians crossed the Ogre River on light-construction wooden walkways, which could be easily dismantled with changing seasons. The hard dolomite of the Ogre River bed is not suitable for driving piles, so the walkways were placed on log tripods (trestles), secured with stone weights. The walkways were located in several places – opposite Birch Alley, opposite the current Orthodox church, and the Lutheran church. Once, the Ogre River walkways were one of the city’s most distinctive features and attracted visitors from Riga and other places. On the riverbank opposite Krasta Street, there was a well-equipped swimming area. 20. century 30. in the 1960s, there were hydro-massage facilities and various sports opportunities there.
Since 2017, a seasonal pontoon bridge has revived this river crossing solution, characteristic of the former resort town. Currently, another pedestrian bridge is being built, which will connect the banks of the Ogre River between Ogre Street and J. Čakste Avenue.
DAMS
The dam near the former cardboard factory (later – Carton Factory) was built at the end of the 19th century as a gravel embankment with wooden reinforcements (trestles) and a concreted top. The current concrete dam with a pedestrian bridge was built in 1958. Over time, the river’s power at this location has driven mills for the cardboard factory’s needs and currently powers the turbines of a hydroelectric power plant.
Mills with a dam were also located on the left bank of the Ogre River, opposite the confluence with Norupīte. To reach the mills, a light-construction wooden bridge was installed, which could be crossed by carts. The mills operated until World War II. These mills ground flour.
RAFTS AND FISH
Until 1964, the Ogre River served as a timber transport route to Riga during floods, but each newly built bridge on the Ogre River made log rafting increasingly risky. Since the late 20th century, 20. logs were floated freely, and rafts were built at the river mouth behind the railway bridge.
Until the construction of the Riga Hydroelectric Power Plant, the Ogre River was much richer in fish. The catch was a significant source of livelihood for local residents. The river had many vimba, perch, and lampreys, and lamprey weirs were once located on the river.
RIGA HES AND OGRE RIVER
In connection with the construction of the Riga Hydroelectric Power Plant in the 20th century, century 70. the water level in the Ogre River rose by 2-3 meters. The once rapid Ogre River significantly changed its flow character. 1972. In the year, the 1300-ton highway bridge was raised by 2.2 meters using jacks. Protective icebreakers were built at the supports of the arched pedestrian bridge. Swimming areas had to be re-established, and the rising water level also affected the river’s fish populations, destroying fish spawning grounds. One of the two Ogres River outlets (on the Jaunogre side) was eliminated by constructing a dam. Currently, the so-called Frog Pond is located in the old bed of the Ogres River’s right outlet. During this time, Ogre transformed from a resort town into an industrial and much more densely populated city.
“OGRE KANGARI” HIKING TRAIL
We invite you to explore the hiking trail to better discover the hills of Ogre. View the photo gallery and read the story on the museum's website or Facebook page. By looking at historical images, you can compare how the city has changed over time. We have marked the route in the "BalticMaps" map browser. The “GPX” file is convenient to use with the LVM GEO mobile app. The total length of the hiking trail marked on the map is 14 kilometers (7 kilometers in Pārogre and 7 kilometers in Ogre center and Jaunogre). The hiking trail winds through both the urban part of the city (with asphalt, cobblestone, and gravel surfaces) and green areas (park paths and pedestrian-trodden forest trails without special amenities).
