The entire project, which includes extending the future Liivalaia tramway to Kristiine, could take up to 15 years, according to Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa). But Deputy Mayor Madle Lippus (SDE) wants it completed faster.

Tallinn's 2024 budget allocates €4.55 million for the first phase of the Kristiine transportation hub, with the total cost of this stage expected to reach nearly €14 million. The city will fund one-third of the project and the EU the rest.

The €4.55 million will be used to construct tunnels on both sides of the road under the Kristiine viaduct, designated for pedestrian and cyclist use.

"Currently, the space is extremely narrow and somewhat dark. Cyclists are supposed to dismount their bikes to avoid unexpected collisions with pedestrians," Järvan said.

This is just the beginning of the redevelopment. The project area will stretch from the Taksopark intersection under the viaduct to the Koidu-Suur-Ameerika-Endla intersection, encompassing the Kristiine transfer station, the planned tramline extension from Liivalaia to Kristiine, and adjustments to the existing traffic layout.

Lippus highlighted the project's challenges including integrating different transportation modes and rethinking the layout of the area.

"How trams will travel from Suur-Ameerika Street has been a long-standing concern, particularly with the Endla junction, but also the way Koidu tänav is currently divided in half, which makes it extremely inconvenient for pedestrians, cyclists, and others to move around, representing very poor use of space, and the transfer station will be located near the viaduct, including the area up to the Taksopark junction, with a broader area needing to be resolved spatially," Lippus explained

The timeline for completing the transportation hub remains a point of debate between the deputy mayors.

"Bringing together different modes of transportation — train, tram, and buses —near the Kristiine Kesksu is a long-term vision that, in my estimation, could take up to 15 years to realize," said Järvan.

Lippus said the process should move faster: "I would say that creating this transport hub connecting the city's public transit should rather be seen as a five-year goal. I would like to start designing it at the earliest opportunity."

The city's urban planning office is currently working on a layout to consolidate all public transportation stops near Kristiine keskus. Järvan noted that funding for future phases of the project is available through the Ministry of Climate.

Lippus outlined the goal of bringing buses, trolleys, trains, and trams together at the hub, with initial efforts focusing on condensing bus and trolley stops.

"The complexity lies in the fact that a large number of different public transport lines from various directions already converge in the area, but the stops are poorly organized. For instance, all the lines heading towards Mustamäe stop far away on Sõpruse puiestee, those heading to Õismäe stop on Endla tänav in front of the Circle K, and some lines stop on Tulika tänav. The idea is to plan the movement in such a way that these stops can be brought together in front of the Kristiine kesus. Currently, we are discussing whether this should be positioned in the middle of the street or closer to Kristiine kesus," she said.

The transfer station, which will connect trams and trains near the shopping center and the railway, will require cooperation with the state and Estonian Railways.

"Since the construction of the entire hub station is indeed a longer and more complex process, our plan is to carry it out in stages. We have not yet finalized these stages, but it seems reasonable to start by focusing on creating the stops in front of the Kristiine Center," she said.

Public transport from Tulika tänav to Madara tänav?

To centralize public transport stops near the Kristiine keskus shopping center in both directions, Tallinn's urban planning office is currently considering relocating buses and trolleys from Tulika to Madara.

Lippus said that keeping public transport on Tulika would make it more difficult to consolidate stops.

"This is one option we are considering because it could be more optimal from a transportation management perspective. Tulika tänav has a relatively narrow corridor and accommodates a significant amount of varied traffic. It would make sense to disperse some of that traffic," she said.

Whether the future major transfer hub, where various modes of public transportation will intersect, will be a standalone building connected to the Kristiine center remains to be decided.

"This hub, in terms of its location and connections, is significant not only citywide but also nationally. However, our goal is not necessarily to create a separate building for it. Rather, it should be a space where it's easy to switch between modes of transportation — such as moving quickly from train platforms to nearby stops," Lippus said.

A draft design for the Kristiine traffic hub is being prepared and will soon be submitted to the city government for discussion. "I think we'll be able to provide more concrete details by the first quarter of next year," the deputy mayor added.

Work continues to solve problems on Suur Ameerika

Tallinn plans to complete two new tramlines, Liivalaia and Pelguranna, by autumn 2029, largely funded by the European Union.

While earlier discussions about the Liivalaia tramline included extending it directly to Kristiine, current plans indicate that by 2029 the line will only run between Tartu maantee and Pärnu maantee. The specifics and timeline for extending the line further toward Kristiine remain uncertain.

Järvan said that extending the tramline along Suur-Ameerika is more complex due to limited space.

"We are exploring viable solutions to extend the line from Pärnu maantee to the Kristiine viaduct," Järvan said, adding that the design and construction phases could take several years.

Lippus emphasized the need to accelerate the planning process.

"We've agreed in the budget to also begin designing the Suur-Ameerika tramline now. It's crucial to consider these tramlines together because the potential of the Liivalaia tramline largely depends on its connection to Kristiine keskus. Given the national significance of the planned transfer hub, it would be unreasonable to plan it without integrating a tramline. While construction funding is not yet available, we are starting the design phase," Lippus said.

The Suur-Ameerika tramline project will not conflict with the construction of the new U.S. Embassy building near the Ministry of Finance.

"They are also interested in improved public transportation connections to the embassy building. While the embassy's planning and street updates are separate projects, the embassy has no objections to the tramline," Lippus added.

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