Construction of the long-delayed National Stadium and multipurpose complex in Vilnius is picking up pace after resuming in July, city officials said Thursday, though questions remain over permits and transparency.

The project, overseen by developer Hanner under a concession agreement, includes an 18,000-seat stadium, a football training field, conference halls, an athletics stadium, a kindergarten, and a sports centre with an arena. While a building permit for the arena has yet to be issued, Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas said the work is proceeding on schedule.

“The goal is to prove to Vilnius residents and Lithuanians that a stadium can be built – even when some say the land is cursed,” Hanner CEO Arvydas Avulis told reporters, calling the project a personal ambition.

The stadium’s foundations are already in place. Heavy machinery and cranes will soon be deployed, and by November passersby should see the first visible structures rising, according to city officials.

Plans also call for a major overhaul of the busy Ukmergės and Ozo street junction near the site. Benkunskas emphasised that the transport redesign prioritises pedestrians, bicycles, scooters, and public transit over private cars.

More read: LRT.LT