The construction of the bridge at the Admiralty Basin, which has been delayed due to a lawsuit, is expected to open in the second half of 2021.

Current plans suggest it will take two years for the bridge to be built said Hele-Mai Metsal, Head of Development Department at Tallinna Sadam. "We want to reach our goal in the second half of 2021. The project will be prepared in accordance with the winning design competition."

The design competition for the new bridge was won by Dutch-Latvian team SIA Witteveen + Bos Latvia. Their "New Balance 100" project for the bridge has the potential to turn into one of Tallinn's landmark structures. The pedestrian bridge, which will also open to marine traffic, will connect terminals A and D.

The bridge is part of the ambitious Old City Harbor development plan called "Masterplan 2030", which Tallinna Sadam sees as, among other things, profitable real estate development. 

The development plan was created in cooperation with the architects of Zaha Hadid and aims to combine port and urban development into a functional system.

The winner of the Admiralty Basin bridge design competition was announced in July 2017, and it was planned to open the bridge at the end of 2018. 

However, neighboring company Lootsi Holding, a business in an office building close to the planned location of the bridge, objected to Tallinna Sadam's plans and took the matter before the Tallinn Administrative Court.

The company felt the bridge would turn a quiet area into a busy one and bring additional light and noise disturbances as there will be signals whenever the bridge is about to be raised for ships. Lootsi Holding wanted a smaller bridge further away from their premises. They contested the city's building permit and delayed the building process.

Tallinn Administrative Court dismissed Lootsi Holding's appeal. The court found that the construction of the Old Harbor Bridge did not violate the applicant's rights.

The bridge will be co-financed with European Union funding. The new cruise terminal and the promenade will be completed in 2021.

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