EDF, UK troops to help demolish Kanama Viaduct
The Defense Forces, NATO troops and the Transport Administration will demolish the Kanama viaduct on November 12 as part of an exercise to practice barrier construction for military defense purposes.
"The Kanama Viaduct is decades old and has become worn out, with its current load capacity of 80 tons insufficient for transporting military equipment or special cargo. This limitation creates issues for many transport operators, as detours are lengthy and inconvenient. After the overpass is reconstructed with a load capacity of 360 tons, the situation will be much more convenient for all users," said Olari Valter, a bridge analyst at the Transport Administration.
The agency said demolishing the bridge significantly reduces the length of demolition work and the resulting noise. During the demolition work, traffic will be stopped for a short time, approximately 2-3 minutes.
Cpt. Urmas Tonto of the EDF's Engineer Battalion (pioneeripataljon) 1st infantry brigade, who will carry out the demolition, said this is one of the group's main responsibilities. In a war scenario, it must stop or hinder the enemy and ensure the movement of Estonia's units.
"The demolition of the Kanama viaduct provides an excellent opportunity to practice the controlled demolition of a real structure and to test the unit's professionalism, enhancing our readiness for wartime tasks. At the same time, it supports the Transport Administration in improving infrastructure at a major and critical traffic junction," Tonto said.
British NATO forces stationed in Tapa and Estonian Defense League volunteers will also assist with the preparations.
Lauri Kanarbik, project manager of GRK Eesti AS, the company carrying out the reconstruction works of the traffic junction, said the work will take place when there is less traffic on the Tallinn–Pärnu highway.
"The demolition will take place late in the evening, and by morning, one direction of the highway is scheduled to be cleared of debris. After that, we will restore traffic flow with a 2+1 lane configuration," he said.
The viaduct has been closed since November 4 and the new road layout should open in summer 2025. The cost of the work is €13.8 million.
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Editor: Barbara Oja, Helen Wright
