Proposed car tunnel under Central Helsinki to be buried for good

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Opponents of the proposed car tunnel under the centre of Helsinki want to get rid of the plans once and for all.
      For some it is not enough that the City Council will more than likely put an end to the planning of the tunnel venture. They want to ensure that the tunnel will not be built in the future either.
      The motion regarding the city centre tunnel will be discussed by the City Board in the coming weeks and will go before the City Council by the beginning of June.
     
Of the large parties, the Social Democrats and the Green League have decided to put a stop to the tunnel plans. In this effort they are likely to be joined by the Left Alliance, the Centre Party, the Christian Democrats, and the Communist Party.
      These parties hold 51 seats in the council, whereas a majority of 43 votes would suffice.
     
But some of the opponents of the tunnel want to take things even further.
      They want the tunnel to be removed also from the larger zoning plan, once the preparation of the new plan gets under way. At present, the city plan markings prevent any construction work from taking place on the proposed route of the tunnel or its entrances.
      If some underground construction took place on the tunnel’s planned route and entrances, this would ensure once and for all that the tunnel will never be built.
      “No need for reservations. Our group is exceptionally unanimous on this matter”, says Sole Molander, chairperson of the Centre Party council group.
      “No reservations. Otherwise we will get new Social Democrats and new National Coalition people, who will dig out the old plans”, agrees city planning committee member Kimmo Helistö (Green).
     
Even in the Social Democratic camp the possibility of removing the tunnel from the master plan has been hinted at. According to City Board member Jouko Malinen (Soc. Dem.), however, the party has yet to form its official opinion on the matter.
      Chairman Otto Lehtipuu from the Green League council group, in turn, would not close the door completely on a central tunnel, even if he is dead against a car tunnel.
      “Maybe in 30 years’ time we might need an east-to-west tram connection”, he suggests.
      “Uhhh... don’t we have an east-to-west metro there already?” Helistö throws in.
     
In all likelihood, at least a car tunnel will not be constructed under the centre of the Finnish capital. Of the three largest parties, only the moderate conservative National Coalition Party is in favour of the car tunnel plans.
      But even the National Coalition would not rush into constructing the tunnel right now, as at present the outlay would be far too high. Nevertheless, the party would still want to leave open the option of building the tunnel at a later date.
      “If the future decision-makers want to have it built, we should not make decisions now to render this option impossible”, says chairman Risto Rautava of the National Coalition Party's council group.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Mayor Pajunen speaks out in favour of more cars in Helsinki centre (16.11.2007)

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