The bridge renovation of the Jätkäsaari isthmus is moving forward and traffic will next be rerouted to a temporary sea embankment, which has been equipped with traffic lanes, lighting and a cycle and pedestrian path.
Once the traffic leaving Jätkäsaari and the harbour has been rerouted to the embankment, the central and eastern parts of the bridge can be replaced. The new bridge should have a lifespan of 100 years. The bridge renovation is due to be completed by the end of 2026.
Traffic to Jätkäsaari and the harbour to be maintained
The Jätkäsaari bridge renovation is being carried out in a way that ensures smooth flow of traffic between the West Harbour and Jätkäsaari despite the renovation.
“Such a busy area is definitely a challenging site, and it has been extremely important for us to ensure smooth traffic in and out of the harbour throughout the project. That's why many of the renovation’s work phases have been carried out as overnight work,” says Jukka Repo, project director of the City of Helsinki.
Temporary sea embankment to be dismantled after renovation
Once the bridge has been renovated and the street works have been completed, traffic can return to the bridge. The temporary sea embankment will then be dismantled and the seawalls finished. The traffic arrangements in the area will be improved in connection with the bridge renovation. A fourth lane will be built on the street Jätkäsaarenlaituri, running along the bridge.
Five-week tram access closure on the bridge in spring
Trams will be unable to run across the bridge from 7 April to 10 May. During the closure, Jätkäsaari tram traffic will run via Ruoholahdenkatu, Itämerenkatu and Crusellinsilta Bridge.
The original goal in the bridge renovation was to have the trams run through the site throughout the renovation via a temporary tram bridge. However, further planning revealed that the temporary bridge would have required a total of three separate closures to tram services, lasting up to seven weeks in total.
Therefore, an option with a shorter closure of five weeks was chosen for further planning, as it would be clearer for public transport passengers. The closure has been planned in cooperation with the contractor of the bridge renovation, HSL, Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd and the Port of Helsinki.
Alternate routes for tram services from 7 April
- Line 9T, running between Market Square and West Harbour, will serve harbour traffic. The line will be operated with longer tram cars.
- Line 9 will run from Kamppi via Ruoholahti to Jätkäsaari, to the Tahitinkatu terminus. The line does not go all the way to the West Terminal.
- Line 7 will not go to Jätkäsaari, but will terminate instead at Kolmikulma. The route will run as normal between Meilahti Hospital and the Central Railway Station.
Bus line 22 will run via Jätkäsaarenlaituri, Välimerenkatu and Länsisatamankatu, replacing the missing tram service on Välimerenkatu.
Read more about the topic in the HSL press release(Link leads to external service) .
