The Tallinn City Government has allocated a total of €44 million for road construction and repair investments in next year's budget. Of this, €37 million will come from the city's own budget, while the remainder will primarily be sourced from external funding, mainly from the European Union.

Among the major projects, Lastekodu tänav and the Kadaka puiestee viaduct are set to be completed, and reconstruction work on Peterburi tee will begin. Design work will start for the Liivalaia tänav and Pelguranna tramway, the construction of a cycling path on Tehnika tänav and the development of a tunnel on Endla tänav.

According to the explanatory notes accompanying next year's budget, major capital repair and reconstruction projects will also include Lauteri tänav, the streets of Mustamäe's second district, Mustjõe tänav (from Veskimetsa tee to Värvi tänav), Värvi tänav (from Laki tänav to Kõrgepinge tänav), E. Bornhöhe tee, Uus tänav (from Vana-Viru tänav to Bremeni käik) and Kõivu tee.

The planning for several major roads will also begin, with the explanatory notes highlighting projects such as Rävala puiestee, Pärnu maantee (from Freedom Square [Vabaduse väljak] to Tondi tänav), Tulika tänav (from Endla tänav to Sõle tänav) and the Nõmme keskus intersection.

Preparations for the reconstruction of Tulika tänav have been ongoing for over five years. The first draft plan was made public in 2018, which included a proposal to remove one traffic lane.

Deputy Mayor Pärtel-Peeter Pere (Reform) stated that the city government plans to present the project for Tulika tänav, between Endla tänav and Paldiski maantee, at the beginning of next year, with construction expected to commence in 2026.

Pere noted that whether the final project will include the removal of one traffic lane will be determined during the design phase. "We are fully aware that this is an extremely important street for people traveling by public transport and car. We are working to ensure that the needs of all users are met. There will be no efforts to restrict traffic or impose other such limitations," he said.

ERR recently reported that discussions related to the reconstruction of the Kristiine Center intersection have included the possibility of redirecting public transport from Tulika tänav to Madara tänav. Deputy Mayor Madle Lippus (SDE) stated a few weeks ago that the draft plan for the Kristiine traffic junction is expected to be completed in the first months of next year.

Ülemiste road tunnel to be decided next year

Funding has yet to be secured for the construction of a vehicle tunnel under the railway leading to the Ülemiste City area. Guido Pärnits, the majority owner of Ülemiste City, said earlier this year that such a tunnel is urgently needed to reduce traffic congestion at the Ülemiste intersection.

The only planned vehicle tunnel to Ülemiste City would connect Kesk-Sõjamäe tämav, located within Ülemiste City, to Kantsi tänav north of the railway. This would provide vehicles access from Ülemiste City to Peterburi tee.

Pere stated that the city government must decide next year whether or not to proceed with the tunnel.

"We have been in negotiations for some time with the Ministry of Climate, Rail Baltic Estonia and Mainor Ülemiste. Next year, the city government, in cooperation with these partners, must decide whether to build the tunnel. As city architect Andro Mänd has pointed out, this is an important development area, and as the region grows, we need to improve access for both public transport and vehicles," Pere said.

While funding for a vehicle tunnel is still pending, the city has allocated €2.7 million in next year's budget to construct a new tunnel for pedestrians and light traffic. This tunnel will connect the T1 Mall of Tallinn to the area in front of the Ülemiste Center by passing under the railway. The new tunnel, measuring 32 meters in length and 15 meters in width, will be located approximately 130 meters west of the current Ülemiste station tunnel.

Some infrastructure projects postponed

Tallinn's Urban Environment and Public Works Department has finalized a plan for the years 2025-2028, detailing which streets could proceed to design or construction in specific years and estimating their potential costs.

"For the first time, we've created a four-year plan, allocated a budget, and based on this, we're organizing the department's work schedules to determine who will handle which road projects and where we will direct our designers' resources," Pärtel-Peeter Pere said.

However, Pere declined to share the plan publicly until the city council has officially approved next year's budget.

At the end of September, Pere commented on how the city has, in past years, taken on more commitments than it could realistically fulfill. Consequently, some road projects planned by the previous city administration will be postponed or canceled.

One such delayed project is a light traffic tunnel planned under the Tartu maantee viaduct, which also failed to secure necessary European Union co-financing. "The current design would have required both tunnels and bridges, which would have meant completely closing inbound city traffic lanes for at least three weeks," Pere explained.

Similarly, the reconstruction of Pikk tänav in the Old Town and Tervise tänav near the North Estonia Medical Center has also been postponed. Pere noted that while a comprehensive redesign for Tervise tänav is ready, it needs a critical review. "We need to assess whether it's smart to carry out such an extensive and large-scale project as planned by the previous administration," he said.

A preliminary design for Valge tänav, located on the edge of Lasnamäe, has been completed since February 2023. Pere stated that work on this project has also been paused.

"Officials and engineers have made it clear to us that we can act more prudently there instead of rushing to finish yet another long, straight street by election year. We can improve quality, and this is one of the projects the previous city government had crammed into the 2024 and 2025 schedules. It seemed that meeting the deadline and completion year was more important than the quality of the work itself," Pere remarked.

Additionally, the city government has already postponed plans to reconstruct Ristiku and Härjapea streets in Pelgulinn. According to Pere, the previous administration's designs failed to adequately consider the concerns of local residents.

Main city center bicycle path network will not be completed next year

The new city government, which took office in the spring, pledged in its coalition agreement to build the primary network of cycling paths in the city center. However, Deputy Mayor Pärtel-Peeter Pere has acknowledged that this promise cannot be fully realized.

For example, the cycling path planned for Tehnika tänav will not be completed in full by the time of the local government elections [in 2025].

"This is a very complex project. Coordination with the railway is required, and we must also be extremely careful with the roots of the tree-lined avenue. These challenges mean that we will only construct a segment of the Tehnika tänav cycling path next year, between the Paldiski mantee and the Endla viaducts. Initially, we thought we could complete the entire street, but that timeline isn't feasible," Pere explained.

With support from European Union funding, a cycling path along Pärnu maantee is planned for 2026, running from Suur-Karja tänav across the viaduct to Kiisa tänav. Pere stated that the remaining portion of Pärnu maantee, such as between Tammsaare Park and Musumägi, will only be completed simultaneously with the main street project, which is set to begin its design phase next year.

"For now, that section will remain as it is. Further along, from Freedom Square toward the Estonia Theater, there is already an existing cycling path that runs past the English College and Tallinn Secondary School of Science. According to the cycling strategy, a path should also be built on the opposite side, allowing access to Kentmanni tänav and past the Bank of Estonia. These segments take time and are a bit more complex," said Pere.

The city is also exploring solutions to connect Lasnamäe and Kadriorg with another cycling path, enabling direct access from Valge tänav down the hill to Weizenbergi tänav in Kadriorg and onward to the city center.

"The question is how to link Kadriorg and Valge tänav with a cycling path that would allow even older residents or those who don't cycle as a sport to easily traverse the incline. No construction will begin there next year, but we hope to publicly present a draft once officials, designers and heritage conservation authorities have reached an agreement," noted the deputy mayor.

Additionally, Pere stated that a light traffic path will be completed next year at the intersection of Majaka and Lasnamäe streets near the edge of Lasnamäe.

A cycling path is also planned for Tööstuse tänav near Kalamaja Cemetery Park, expected to be completed in 2026. This will coincide with the street's redevelopment to install a district heating network.

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