Let’s Finally Complete the Narva-Jõesuu Breakwater!

On 27 February 2025, a ceremonial signing of the construction contract and the project kick-off meeting for the Narva-Jõesuu breakwater took place in Narva-Jõesuu. The works will be carried out by the joint tenderers that won the public procurement: Infragreen OÜ, KMG OÜ and Varmotek Grupp OÜ. The contract value is €4,703,320, and the completion deadline is summer 2026.

Narva-Jõesuu Mayor Maksim Iljin: “By signing today’s breakwater construction contract, I am fulfilling a personal promise I made to the families of those who lost their loved ones in the tragedy of early July 2015. At the mouth of the Narva River, four people drowned, including two children. I still vividly remember meeting the relatives of the victims. Back then I personally promised that sooner or later the breakwater would be restored and the dangerous situation at the river mouth eliminated. The process has taken almost ten years, but the promise will be kept.”

According to Janek Uibo, Member of the Management Board of Infragreen OÜ, the Narva-Jõesuu breakwater is a major project supporting regional development and environmental protection: “This breakwater is not just an infrastructure element, but also an important step in protecting the coastline from erosion, making the area more attractive for both residents and visitors. In addition, the new breakwater will improve navigation: at present, sands moved by currents periodically block the shipping channel located at the mouth of the Narva River. Our aim is to ensure, through high-quality construction, that the breakwater performs its functions effectively and over the long term, supporting the sustainable development of Narva-Jõesuu and the wider region.”

The construction project provides for building the breakwater on the western side of the mouth of the Narva River, at the location of the previously unfinished structure situated near the control line between the Republic of Estonia and the Russian Federation. In addition to the breakwater, the project includes an access road with a service area and necessary parking facilities, as well as breakwater lighting and landscaping works.

The reconstruction design was prepared by OÜ Reaalprojekt. The construction works are carried out within the framework of the project “Development of the Ida-Viru Region Waterways Network and Entrepreneurship.”

The need to construct a breakwater at the mouth of the Narva River was first discussed more than 250 years ago. At that time, breakwaters over 850 metres in length were planned for both the right and left banks in order to improve navigability, but the project was not implemented due to lack of funding.

Based on studies conducted in 1923–1924, it was again concluded that silting at the river mouth could only be mitigated by constructing a breakwater. A second attempt was made in 1929, when a 150-metre section built of cobblestones and boulders was completed, 50 metres of which extended into the sea, along with coastal reinforcement works. Unfortunately, the seaward section of the breakwater was destroyed during the Second World War.

Between 1987 and 1990, the most recent attempt was made to complete the Narva-Jõesuu breakwater, but due to funding shortages in the final years of the Soviet period, the project was left unfinished. As a result, a partially ruined structure still stands at the mouth of the Narva River, no longer fulfilling its intended function and instead posing an additional safety risk.

In the future, the breakwater will serve multiple functions, primarily creating the conditions necessary to restore navigability at the mouth of the Narva River. Currently, due to the absence of a breakwater, the average water depth at the river mouth is 1–1.5 metres. Therefore, it is not possible at present to meaningfully develop the water corridor between Narva and Narva-Jõesuu. Many investment projects that would have been suitable within the framework of the Just Transition Fund remain on hold and are dependent on completion of the breakwater.

Another important function is the protection of the eastern border of both the Republic of Estonia and the European Union, and ensuring security on the Narva River and at its mouth. Due to low water levels, certain sections of the river mouth are difficult and unpredictable for vessels of the Police and Border Guard Board to navigate. Studies indicate that if construction of the new breakwater and dredging at the river mouth are not initiated promptly, the Narva River may within a few years become navigable only via waters belonging to the Russian Federation, which would disrupt the balance of national security provision. The importance of the Narva River from a national defence perspective has further increased following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Completion of the breakwater safeguards Estonia’s interests by ensuring that the Narva River can be used for navigation on the Estonian side as well, including for security purposes.

A third important aspect is the protection of Narva-Jõesuu beach. In the absence of a breakwater, beach sand is continuously carried into the river mouth, and maintaining the beach’s stable width will soon become impossible, as water flows and changing conditions are stronger and faster than human capacity and intent without structural measures.

A fourth key consideration is tourism development. The new breakwater, together with the development of the city promenade, the lighthouse and the Suur-Lootsi cultural quarter, will stimulate visitor flows to the region and will function in the near future as a significant tourism attraction. This, in turn, supports business development, as the breakwater and promenade project includes new sales pavilions and designated trading areas.

Several major businesses operating in the Ida region have visited the City Government and noted that development of the breakwater would create improved opportunities and prospects for them to contribute to the urban environment.

The objective of the project “Development of the Ida-Viru Region Waterways Network and Entrepreneurship” is to improve waterway connectivity between the North Coast and Lake Peipsi and to develop cooperation networks around the waterways for entrepreneurs. In addition, the project aims to restructure business support services to better assist entrepreneurs and increase the region’s attractiveness. The central linking element of the project is the Narva-Jõesuu breakwater, which will be reconstructed to ensure improved connectivity with the Narva River and to create additional opportunities for service provision related to the breakwater.

To achieve the project’s objectives, a comprehensive waterway development concept will be prepared, business networks will be developed to unlock the waterways’ potential, the physical environment will be improved to facilitate new services, an innovative virtual reality-based solution will be created, and tourism packages will be developed presenting the region as a whole, with a focus on the importance of waterways.

The project is funded through the European Union Cohesion and Internal Security Policy Funds under the measure “Attractive Regional Business and Living Environment,” through the county development strategy implementation measure, and through the city budget.

The project eligibility period runs from 1 January 2024 to 28 August 2026. The construction period is approximately 17 months.