The event was attended by the prime minister, transport minister, Marijampolė and Kalvarija mayors, heads of the Lithuanian Road Administration and contractors.
A capsule with a letter to future generations was buried on site of the future road.
“This motorway, known as Via Baltica, linking Finland with the Czech Republic, is very important in many respects. It is one of Lithuania’s key transport arteries, with a direct impact on trade, on our commercial ties with other countries and on tourism,” said Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.
“Now this motorway has taken on more colours. We can call it the road of solidarity, because this is the road that people fleeing the war have taken to come to Lithuania, this is the road that we are taking to bring our aid to Ukraine, and this is the road that reflects best our trajectory, the orientation of our country towards the West,” Šimonytė said.