"As promised, in addition to the new tram line, the entire surrounding urban space will undergo a renovation, and I am pleased that these changes will be integrated into the streetscape by the end of the year. The new urban space solution for Laikmaa Street offers rich greenery, highlights green modes of transport, and creates opportunities for pedestrians for ground-level crossings and convenient use of public transport," said Tallinn Deputy Mayor Vladimir Svet (Center)

According to a City of Tallinn press release, the tramway design on the Laikmaa tänav section considers the needs of both public transport users and pedestrians. Tram stops are planned in the middle of the street, ensuring easy access to public transport. The roads are designed exclusively for public transport movement and covered with granite paving. Sidewalks will be made from environmentally friendly and durable materials – granite slabs and stone.

The areas between the tramway tracks will be covered with reinforced grass, which is durable enough to allow temporary vehicle movement on the tramway if necessary. LED-lit barriers will be fitted along the sidewalk, adding aesthetic value to the street and protecting the corners of planting areas from unwanted trampling.

The center of the street will feature 14 pyramid-shaped Crimson Spire oaks. Root barrier fabric will be used when planting the trees to protect the roots, isolate underground utility lines, and facilitate tree transplantation if needed.

The diverse range of low greenery includes colorful, resilient shrubs like Japanese spirea, birchleaf spirea, winged spirea, skunk currant, Virginia creeper, and snowberry. The selection of low greenery species ensures has been tailored to ensure visibility at crossings. Over 2,200 shrub plants will also be planted along Laikmaa tänav.

To enliven the urban space, Laikmaa tänav will feature four tree-shaped light sculptures, supporting vertical greenery. In summer, vines growing on the light sculptures add greenery will create a nature-close atmosphere, while in winter, they offer a spatial dimension along with lighting.

The street solution for Laikmaa tänav was developed through the collaboration of KMG Infra OÜ and Merko Ehitus Eesti AS, involving Lootusprojekt OÜ. Laikmaa tänav is scheduled to be completed by December this year.

The construction of the Old Harbor (Vanasadam) tram line, will result in a new tramway covering approximately 2.5 kilometers, starting from the intersection of Kivisilla tänav and Gonsiori tänav and extending to Põhja puiestee. The tram service on the new route is planned to start running this fall, but the construction of road and sidewalk surfaces, the installation of traffic management devices, bus shelters, and other urban space inventory, as well as landscaping work, will be fully completed by early 2025. The project is funded by the European Union's NextGenerationEU recovery fund. Updates on Tallinn's Old Harbor (Vanasadam) tram line, construction process can be found here.  

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