Construction resumes on Old City Harbor tramway and Tondi intersection after winter pause
Construction on the Old City Harbor tramway will continue on March 4, and construction at the Tondi railway crossing will begin on March 15. The continuation of construction work will lead to changes in traffic and public transport routes.
"The construction of the Old City Harbor tram line has been a challenging endeavor for both the constructor and all residents of Tallinn, as such large-scale projects inevitably affect the city centre's traffic. With the arrival of spring, we will resume more active construction works, which will introduce temporary traffic arrangements," said Tallinn's Deputy Mayor Vladimir Svet. "However, we are pleased to note that we are on schedule and hope to launch tram service on the new line by this autumn. We are starting early to complete most of the work by spring and summer. We apologize for any inconvenience and urge all travelers to prepare for somewhat slower traffic in the city centre from March 4," added Svet.Construction work on the Old City Harbor tramway will begin on March 4 on Mere puiestee between Suur-Rannavärava Street and Sadama Street, and at the intersection of Ahtri and Hobujaama streets, leading to temporary traffic rearrangements in the city centre. Traffic on Mere puiestee, heading towards the city centre, will be closed from Suur-Rannavärava Street to Ahtri Street, and on Ahtri Street, traffic will be closed from Reidi tee to Pirita direction. Traffic from Rannamäe tee and Põhja puiestee towards Pirita will be merged onto Põhja puiestee and Mere puiestee towards Põhja-Tallinn and the city centre (northern branch), making these street sections two-way. Partial reopening of traffic on Mere puiestee is planned for July, with full reopening in September. After the partial reopening of Mere puiestee, traffic on Rannamäe tee will be closed. Regular traffic organization on Ahtri Street is expected to be restored in the first half of June. In other areas of the Old City Harbor tramway construction, the existing temporary traffic organization will remain in place this spring, with local changes and street openings according to work progress during the summer period.
Due to the construction work, from the beginning of the workday on March 4 until the end of the workday on June 7, bus lines No. 2, 3, 8, 20, 20A, 21, 21B, 34, 38, 41, 41B, 66, 73, 91, 92, 93, and 96 will be rerouted.
A major change related to the construction work of the Old City Harbor tramway is planned for the beginning of May, when, after the construction of the tram turnaround ring at Skoone Bastion Stadium, a temporary tram line No. 1 Kopli – Linnahall will serve the direction to Kopli from May 6. Regular tram service in the direction of Kopli will resume in August. During the construction of the turnaround ring, all tram service in the direction of Kopli will be suspended from 8 p.m. on May 3 until the end of the day on May 5. Tram line No. 1 will be closed from 8 p.m. on May 3 until the end of the day on May 5, tram lines No. 2 and 5 will be closed from 8 p.m. on May 3 until August 18.
As a result of the construction work on the Old City Harbor tramway, a new 2.5-kilometer tram line will be completed, starting at the intersection of Kivisilla and Gonsiori Streets and extending to Põhja puiestee. Tram service is planned to start on the new route this autumn, but the work on road surfaces and sidewalks, the installation of traffic management devices and waiting shelters, as well as the addition of other urban infrastructure and completion of landscaping, will all be fully finished by the beginning of 2025. The project is funded by the European Union's NextGenerationEU recovery fund. The Old City Harbor tramway construction process can be followed on the website tallinn.ee/vanasadamatramm.
Construction work on the Tondi railway crossing will begin on March 15. The work will involve asphalting the first lane on Kotka Street (near Kotka St. 1) and milling the pavement of the second lane. Traffic organization will only change between the lanes on Kotka Street. Reconstruction of utility networks and the overhaul of the tramway section on Tondi Street will occur, and Tondi Street will be closed from the intersection with Alevi Street to the Tondi crossing during the construction period. Due to the construction work at the Tondi railway crossing, the Tondi tram terminal will be closed from March 15 until August 1. During this period, tram lines No. 3 and 4 will be shortened to the Vana-Lõuna tram terminal. Tram lines No. 1, 2, and 5 will continue on their usual routes until 8 p.m. on May 3.
"Despite economically challenging times, we continue with significant investments in infrastructure elsewhere in Tallinn. This year will see the completion of the reconstruction of the Tondi railway crossing, making it much safer. However, we will have to temporarily suspend tram service in the Tondi area before the work is completed, but there are plenty of alternative bus lines in the area," said Svet.
The reconstruction work on the Tondi viaduct will continue until the end of 2024. To ensure safety when crossing the railway, the Tondi Street railway crossing will be reconstructed – instead of the previous crossing, a new underpass will be built, new and safer pedestrian paths will be constructed, new ramps and stairs will be built to improve access to the railway platform. Additional information about the construction work and traffic organization at the Tondi railway crossing can be found on the website tallinn.ee/tondi.
Information materials will be placed at the stops of the rerouted bus lines. All rerouted lines will provide transfer options at the nearest public transport stops. Delays may occur on rerouted lines, and the walking distance to stops in the city centre may increase. Schedules, trip planner, routes, and stops will be available on the website transport.tallinn.ee by the start of construction.