During the course of reconstruction of one of the busiest intersections in the city, cycle and pedestrian tunnels will be built through the embankment of the railway dam on both sides of Riia Street, and a cycle and pedestrian bridge will be built next to the railway viaduct crossing the road.

Mayor Urmas Klaas said reconstruction of the Riia-Vaksali intersection is an important and major project for Tartu, and one that has been long-awaited.

"Tartu is a cycle and pedestrian-friendly city, and residents of Tartu enjoy moving about on foot and by bicycle. The tunnels and the cycle and pedestrian viaduct to be constructed will make crossing the railway and intersection safer, and will connect important directions of movement for cycle and pedestrian track users travelling from the City Centre to Maarjamõisa and Tammelinn'.

Two intersections along Riia Street – the Raudtee and Vaksali Street intersections – will be closed during the course of the works, where preparatory works will begin for the construction of tunnels and their concrete elements will be built.

During the closure of the intersections, vehicle traffic will be detoured. Pedestrians will be ensured safe access for the duration of the construction period. Traffic will become two-way along Kastani Street, between Riia Street and Vanemuise Street, and parking will be prohibited.

Construction work on the Riia Street carriageway will take place in sections, and for the duration of construction traffic will take place based on a 1+1 lane scheme. Separate lanes will be created for public transportation. A storage site will be built on the Port Railway spur, at the site of the temporary parking lot, and public parking will be permitted only if there is free space. Following completion of the construction of the storm sewer (in September) a new public car park will be built in the same area.

The basis for the Riia-Vaksali intersection reconstruction project is the preliminary design documentation prepared by Tinter-Projekt OÜ, which takes into consideration "Sindlinahk" (Part OÜ) the design competition's winning work.

The design and construction of the intersection will cost €5,272,275, and the expected date of completion for the works is the beginning of 2022. The work is being performed by AS TREV-2 Grupp.

The reconstruction of the Riia-Vaksali intersection is being financed with resources from the City of Tartu and the Cohesion Fund project "Development of the Tartu Railway Station and Improvement of Accessibility".

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