Deputy Mayor: Tallinn 2024 roadworks less of an inconvenience than last year

Construction of the Old Harbor tram line will continue from next Monday, with work to reconstruct the Tondi railway crossing to start in mid-March. Both projects will introduce changes to Tallinn traffic, Deputy Mayor Vladimir Svet said.
"The recent years' largest construction project is on schedule: work to construct the Old Harbor tramway will continue next week. It will cause inconvenience and force people to change their habits, while the situation cannot be compared to last year when several intersections had to be closed at the same time. We will not be closing intersections this time and will just make them narrower," Svet said at a press conference.
He added that while the city's contract to build the Old Harbor tram line will expire in February 2025, most of the fieldwork will be done this fall. "The tracks will be laid sooner, while a tram needs overhead lines, stops and paths leading to stops," Svet pointed out. "We are also working on greenery, bicycle paths, water, sewage and shelters from heat around the tram corridors. Underground work will take the most time and energy," Svet continued.
He added that Tallinn wants to have new trams by the time the Old Harbor line is launched.
The most important effects of the Old Harbor tram line work are two road closures between Kalamaja and Pirita. Tallinn will be closing a section of Mere puiestee near Linnahall, with traffic redirected to the Tallinn Creative Hub, Jaan Tarmak, head of the city's Urban Environment and Public Works Department, said. He added that the intersection of Ahtri and Hobujaama will also be closed to build a tram tracks crossing there.
According to the city's plans, the Hobujaama intersection will stay closed from March 4 to June 7, with work set to be concluded by November in Hobujaama and by December in Ahtri.
Tarmak noted that the work takes time because the construction starts underground with the establishment of various utility networks, where additional work is also done considering the future. "The next phases of constructing the Old Harbor tramway will also take time because the tramway is built on a concrete base. Concrete needs time to harden, and we have to wait to proceed to the next phase. It is also necessary to perform work related to the roads and establish a contact network for the tramways," Tarmak explained.
This season's road construction work in Tallinn will result in the redirection of 14 bus lines. "It seems like a large number, but there's no need to worry, as the temporary new stops are in close proximity to the current ones. The lines that go towards Mere puiestee can bypass the construction, but lines 8 and 66 will remain within the construction site," said Liis Spiegelberg, head of Tallinn's Transport Department. In total, there will be seven temporary stops, with the most – three – located in the area around Linnahall.

Svet: Trams 3 and 4 to follow new routes
The traffic in Tallinn will also start to be affected by the reconstruction works of the Tondi level crossing from mid-March. "These will begin on March 15, and the rule that pedestrians can cross the level crossing remains, but tram lines 3 and 4 will be affected," said Svet.
"The Tallinn-Väike and Kalev stops will be skipped. Trams will make a turnaround at the Vana-Lõuna stop. This area is covered by bus lines, and if necessary, we will increase the frequency of bus departures," said Spiegelberg.
She also added that from May, tram traffic in Põhja-Tallinn from Kopli to Linnahall will be maintained. "A temporary turnaround circle is at the bastion," said Spiegelberg. Works and rearrangements in this area will last until mid-August.
Complete traffic rearrangements in Tallinn, alternative schedules, and timetables can be viewed at the link.
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Editor: Mari Peegel, Marcus Turovski