Tram traffic will return to the Mannerheimintie renovation area (between Reijolankatu and Runeberginkatu) in the early autumn. The tram lines returning to Mannerheimintie are lines 2, 4 and 10. HSL will update the routes and timetables in the HSL app and Journey Planner in July.
“The work has progressed rapidly and will be completed before the end of the year, which was the original deadline for the project,” says Project Director Antti-Juhani Lehtinen from the City of Helsinki.
Efficient scheduling and a mild winter contributed
Work at the renovation site was efficiently scheduled, and the repairs of the northern side streets, for example, were started early, allowing the excavation work to be completed swiftly.
The mild winter also contributed to the project, allowing weather-dependent work stages to be started earlier in the spring.
“The contractor VM Suomalainen and other partners involved in the project deserve praise. Together, things have progressed at a good pace and solutions have always been found to problems and deviations,” says Lehtinen.
Water and drainage pipes to be completed in the summer
The water infrastructure of the renovation area, meaning water and drainage pipes, is largely complete, with the final parts to be completed in the summer. The summer and autumn will also see the finalisation of the street's surface structures, such as pavements and kerbs, and asphalting.
A new street plaza will be built in the place of the former gas station by Humalistonkatu. The plaza will include benches and plants, HOK-Elanto charging stations for electric cars and a grocery shop pick-up point.
Street trees to be planted in the autumn
Autumn is the best time to plant trees, which is why the planting of the new street trees on Mannerheimintie and its side streets will take place in the autumn. The trees to be planted on Mannerheimintie and Toivonkatu will be lime trees, while the trees to be planted on Ruusankatu and Savilankatu will be columnar alders.
In addition to the trees, four vine poles have been installed on Sallinkatu to add to the pleasantness and greenery of the street. Another three vine poles have been installed on Mannerheimintie at the end of Töölö Sports Hall.
The biggest street renovation in Helsinki was carried out in two phases
The renovation of Mannerheimintie is the biggest street renovation to be carried out in Helsinki to date. Starting in spring 2023, the renovation was carried out in two phases. The first phase, covering the section between Kiasma and the Finnish National Opera, was completed on schedule in autumn 2024. After this, the project proceeded to its second and final phase, covering the section between Runeberginkatu and Reijolankatu.
The renovation has involved renewing the water pipes, electric cables and other municipal infrastructure under the street, the tram rails and the bridge across Baana and the building of one-way cycle paths on Mannerheimintie.
Facts and figures about the Mannerheimintie renovation
- The oldest water pipe still in use on Mannerheimintie was from 1877 (at Kivelänkatu). The water pipes under Runeberginkatu and Reijolankatu were from the early 1900s.
- The new water pipes are expected to have a service life of at least 100 years.
- The total length of the new water pipes installed is 2.3 km, while the total length of the new rainwater drainage pipes installed is 3.1 km. The renovation also involved the installation of 2.6 km of new tram rails and 2.6 km of new one-way cycle paths over the length of Mannerheimintie.
- The tram stops will be outfitted with green roofs. In addition to this, the Kansallismuseo and Hesperia stops will be outfitted with green walls that are similar to those on Hermannin rantatie.
- The new street trees will be planted in a load-bearing substrate containing biochar. The biochar will bind nutrients and water for the trees, and its use in the substrate will also mitigate climate change, as biochar breaks down very slowly in the ground.
- The project area was approximately 2.8 km long and covered an area of approximately 102,000 m².
