Kesklinn mayor: Plans to close Narva maantee turn to Kadriorg not final

The plan to close the turn on Tallinn's Narva maantee leading to Kadriorg is not final, said the head of Tallinn City Center District, Sander Andla (Reform) on Friday. Deputy Mayor for Transport Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa) learned about the plan through the media.
Tallinn plans to reconstruct the Narva maantee intersection as part of the redevelopment of Petrooleumi tänav in Kesklinn. According to the initial plan, the turn from Narva maantee onto Koidula and Weizenbergi would be removed.
Aksel Johannes Part, head of the Urban Environment Planning Department at Tallinn's Environment and Public Utilities Department, discussed the plan with ERR earlier this week.
Andla said it is too early to say the plan is finalized.
"It cannot yet be stated with certainty that this turn will be closed. This is still just an initial idea. The design work is ongoing. The final solution will become clear during the process," he said.
Andla acknowledged that a key issue is ensuring convenient access to the Kadriorg Art Museum, Kumu, Kadriorg Park, and the Presidential Office.
"We need to avoid a situation where, due to a single decision, large tourist buses start driving down the small streets of Kadriorg," he noted.
Andla said telling the public about the plan in its early stages is sensible.
"This allows people to provide feedback early on. If local residents and businesses find that closing the turn is not a reasonable solution, this is something that can be considered during the design process," he said.

Järvan told ERR he doubts the feasibility of the plan.
The deputy mayor said both he and the city's transport department learned about the plans from the media.
"To be honest, the Environment and Public Utilities Department has been working on this plan and, as I understand, even published it in the district newspaper before consulting the transport department at all. Over the coming weeks, we will need to take a closer look at the issue and provide an initial assessment from the department's perspective," Järvan said. "We hope that the Environment and Public Utilities Department will soon present its ideas to us."
"At first glance, the plan to prohibit the turn from Narva maantee into Kadriorg seems somewhat premature," Järvan added.
Members of a social media group for Kadriorg residents expressed concerns about the change.
One resident described the plan as creating an absurd situation for locals, leaving unclear how people would access the Tallinn Literary Center's Tammsaare Museum and library on Koidula tänav.
Closing the turn would also make it harder for residents of Koidula and Köleri to reach their homes and could hinder access for emergency vehicles, it was said.

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Editor: Valner Väino, Helen Wright