Helsinki’s Hakamäentie road tunnel to open in June

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Helsinki motorists in general and particularly those who commute to areas such as Pasila will breathe a hearty sigh of relief later this year as one of the city's biggest bottlenecks takes a step towards being resolved.
      The three-year stint of constructing a 320-metre tunnel under the Mannerheimintie main artery in the north of the capital is nearing completion.
      According to plans, the Hakamäentie tunnel will be opened to traffic in June of this year.
      Viewed from the western end of the tunnel, which curves slightly upwards, one can already see the light of day gleaming through the opposite end.
      The speed limit in the two-lane tunnel will be set at 60 km/h. Ventilation and lighting equipment has already been installed into the ceiling of the construction. The traffic lanes still require surfacing, though.
      “It looks like the asphalting work will begin in April”, estimates project manager Jukka Hietaniemi.
     
The entire project will be completed by the coming September. By then 25 new bridges, three and a half kilometres of noise barriers, and seven kilometres of light traffic lanes will have been added to the cityscape of the nation’s capital.
      The constructing of the Hakamäentie tunnel alone has required 24,000 tonnes of concrete and a million kilos of steel.
      Towards the spring the working pace will only quicken. As the weather gets warmer the work will continue at the street level. The paving of the traffic lanes as well as planting and landscaping works will commence on the entire length of Hakamäentie.
      The job, once again, will call for all manner of traffic arrangements to be made in the area, project manager Hietaniemi explains, suggesting that perhaps the mess will get temporarily worse than it has been of late.
     
Especially from the start of April traffic will have to be directed through special arrangements.
      “Lanes have to be temporarily closed off, because of the kerb paving work and other finishing touches. Shrubs and trees will be planted to decorate the traffic islands and lane separators”, Hietaniemi lists.
     
In all, the Hakamäentie tunnel project will compliment the Helsinki layout with 6,260 metres of roads and streets, 3,900 metres of ramps, 7,000 metres of light traffic lanes, 320 metres of tunnel, 3,430 metres of noise barriers, 25 bridges, and 1,300 metres of support walls.
      By the end, no less than 3,400 tonnes of reinforcing steel will have been used in the project that has also required 800 blastings.
     
The traffic-light-operated junction of Hakamäentie, Mannerheimintie, and Vihdintie is one of Helsinki's most congested, not simply in the rush-hours but also if anything is happening at the nearby Fair Centre or the Hartwall Arena.
      Long tailbacks are familiar on the roads leading to the intersection, for example affecting commuters coming into Helsinki from the north in the mornings.
      Longer-term plans have even called for a tunnel that would connect up with the end of the Turku motorway further to the west, which also channels in a heavy volume of traffic each morning.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Heavy road construction continues in area near Eurovision Song Contest (16.4.2007)

See also:
  All main arterial roads in Helsinki area under threat of becoming blocked in coming years (31.10.2008)

Links:
  Finnish Road Administration - Hakamäentie

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