Tallinn planning to close off right turn from Narva maantee to Kadriorg
The City of Tallinn is planning to close off the right turn toward Kadriorg for motor traffic as part of the broader reconstruction of the Narva maantee junction. The official in charge of the project stressed that this is currently only a preliminary plan, which remains subject to change.
The city is also planning to reconstruct the Narva maantee junction as part of the redevelopment of Petrooleumi tänav in the city center.
According to the initial plans, the Narva maantee junction will lose the turn-off to Koidula tänav and A. Weizenbergi tänav.
Aksel Johannes Part, head of the Urban Environment Planning Department at the Tallinn Urban Environment and Public Works Department, told the city's newspaper Kesklinna Sõnumid on January 9 that the right turn from Narva maantee towards Kadriorg will be removed so that pedestrians and cyclists can cross the intersection more safely.
The outline of the planned works also shows the replacement of the right turn with a sidewalk.
"This sketch is accurate in that sense," Part told ERR. "I want to make sure to stress that we're only at the design specification stage and this is very much a preliminary sketch, so it's not necessarily the final version, but everything will be finalized."
Drivers currently use Koidula tänav to access the KUMU Art Museum and Kadriorg Park.
"This is something that will certainly have to be considered during the design process, so that the necessary passages, access to KUMU and other necessary services in the area, remain. In that sense, certainly this traffic scheme will be looked at further. It is definitely important that this access is maintained – if not from where it has been until now, then from somewhere else," Part said.
After the turn is removed, tourist buses will also begin to run along Kadriorg's other streets.
"Again, it is too early to comment on that," Part said. "During the design process, all these things will be thoroughly thought through. I would like to stress that this is still the preliminary stage and an initial idea, which still needs to be considered from various angles. We certainly don't want a situation whereby the safety and attractiveness of local streets is significantly reduced. This is an important factor to consider in any case."
He added that he probably expressed himself too strongly in the city newspaper. "We have a clear plan, but it still requires review and it's not at all out of the question that something may change in that regard."
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Editor: Valner Väino, Michael Cole
