Alignment of city centre tunnel to be decided soon by City of Helsinki

A tunnel across the city centre would cost over EUR 270 million

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Helsinki's City Planning Department has proposed the construction of a tunnel to carry vehicle traffic beneath the centre of the city, at an estimated cost of EUR 274 million.
      The aim in building the tunnel is to enable good links from the east and west to the service and parking facilities of the core downtown area and Töölönlahti.
      One of the objectives is also to transfer cars from the streets to the tunnel.
      It is estimated that approximately 50,000 vehicles would use the centre tunnel each day.
      The transfer underground of traffic from the street network is expected to improve traffic safety and give more room to pedestrians in the city centre.
      According to the director of the Transportation and Traffic Planning Division, Olli-Pekka Poutanen, the tunnel construction should be well under way by 2015 at the latest when the new waterfront city quarters of Kalasatama and Jätkäsaari will begin to be complete. This urban renewal project is to be carried out in connection with the opening of a new harbour in the eastern suburb of Vuosaari, thus freeing up valuable downtown space currently taken up with docks and container terminals.
     
The City Planning Department explored four different tunnel options with three deep tunnel solutions and one surface tunnel model.
      The department has proposed the surface tunnel solution as the framework for further planning as it provides better links to the streets and car parks of the city centre.
      In all tunnel models the eastern links to the central Forum car park and to streets west of Forum were missing. The construction cost of a deep tunnel would be between EUR 230 million and EUR 262 million.
      "We ended up opting for the surface tunnel solution because no specific benefits could be gained with the deep tunnel options", Poutanen says.
      All four of the tunnel options included two alternative solutions to the length of the eastern wing of the tunnel. The longer of these, which would stretch up to the junction of Sörnäisten rantatie and Vilhovuorenkatu, would cost EUR 54 million more than the shorter tunnel.
     
According to Poutanen, a traffic tunnel is needed to secure the accessibility of the city centre.
      The City Planning Department has suggested that the tunnel could be constructed in stages. The building works should begin from the part connecting Siltavuorenranta and Töölönlahti, as it would improve the links to the city service tunnel.
      The Helsinki City Board ordered the City Planning Department to explore the deep tunnel options because the surface tunnel solution is expected lower the prices of building lots in the Töölönlahti area. A surface tunnel wouldl hinder the construction of basement floors for the district's buildings.
     
The City Planning Committee will process the tunnel construction plans on Thursday. The committee will choose a tunnel option for the city plan draft.
      The final decision on the matter will be made in the City Planning Committee meeting held on Thursday, 3rd Novenber.
      The centre tunnel plan will then be processed by the Helsinki City Board.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Options for solving traffic congestion in Helsinki (27.9.2005)
  If driving were banned in the centre of Helsinki (27.9.2005)

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