Watch again: EDF blows up viaduct on Tallinn-Pärnu highway
Just after 1 a.m. on Wednesday (November 13) the Transport Administration and Defense Forces blew up the Kanama viaduct on the Tallinn-Pärnu-Ikla road.
You can watch the demolition in the broadcast below.
The decades-old overpass is being demolished and rebuilt to modern specifications. The road has been shut since the start of the month, and a diversion is in place.
The EDF's Engineer Battalion and NATO allies participated in the demolition to practice clearing civilian infrastructure.
Last week, Cpt. Urmas Tonto of the EDF's Engineer Battalion (pioneeripataljon) 1st infantry brigade, who carried out the demolition, said this is one of the group's main responsibilities.
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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.
The new overpass will meet the load-bearing requirements necessary for transporting military equipment and oversized loads.
The cost of the work is €13.8 million. It is co-financed by the European Cohesion Fund through the military mobility EstMilMob project and will improve the connections to Tapa.
The viaduct has been closed since November 4 and the new road layout should open in summer 2025.
Information about the diversion can be seen below.
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Editor: Helen Wright
