The Tallinn City Planning Department has begun presenting preliminary designs for the redevelopment of the Kristiine junction. The plans include a roundabout, a public transport system from Tulika tänav to Madara tänav and a green area replacing the gas station currently located next to the Kristiine Keskus shopping mall.

Part of the plan involves bringing a tram line to Kristiine. The tram line would run in the middle of Endla tänav, with 4.5 meter-wide platforms in the middle of the street.

The overriding aim of the redevelopment project is to link all the different modes of public transport in the Kristiine hub – buses, trams, trolleybuses and trains. The plan is to bring all the different stops to a platform at the front of Kristiine Keskus. As things stand, various public transport stops are scattered throughout the hub, and getting from one stop to another can be a hassle for pedestrians.

"This requires the resolution of some very big issues. The area around Kristiine Keskus is already a very important hub. Õismäe, Mustamäe, Kopli, Kesklinn, and in fact Nõmme also, will all come together, along with the train lines and long-distance bus lines. The challenge we are working to solve is how to organize this in the most convenient way as well as how to bring together these different stops and modes of transport. Trams are also in the picture, because we want to extend the Liivalaia tram line all the way to Kristiine Keskus," Tallinn Deputy Mayor Madle Lippus (SDE) told ERR.

When construction does go ahead, it will most likely happen in phases, as the project is a large one and, moving the train stops closer to Kristiine Keskus, for example will require cooperation with both the state and Eesti Raudtee, Lippus said.

"Bringing the city's own public transport stops closer to Kristiine Keskus is also definitely a very big change and will require some rebuilding, but we can make these decisions within the city administration," she added.

When it comes to trains, if in the future ,intra-city train lines were to be introduced, it may be the case that some of those lines also end up running to Kristiine, as it is not possible to extend Tallinn's central Baltic Station (Balti jaam).

Taksopark traffic lights may be replaced with roundabout

The future redevelopments will not only affect public transport, but all traffic. One of the major ideas being discussed is the possible replacement of the traffic lights at the Taksopark junction, which connects several parts of the city, with a roundabout. One of the reasons behind the plan is the potential need for trams to be able to turn around there.

"That's one possibility, but we don't yet have any decision on that. When we redesign the Taksopark junction, We have to take into account, whether it will become necessary for a tram to turn around there (and if so), how we will do it. However, the potential of this intersection for other public transport and passenger vehicles also has to be utilized as much as possible. There are different options for the junction and we are considering them now," said Lippus.

Another major change being considered concerns public transport running between Kristiine and Põhja-Tallinn, which would be diverted from Tulika tänav to Madara tänav. According to Lippus, that plan has also not yet been finalized.

"The thinking behind this is that if all the stops were to be brought in front of Kristiine Keskus, what the most optimal solution for the logistics of public transport would be. And a turnaround toward Madara has also been considered," she said.

When the stops –  including the train stop, which will be located at the intersection of Tehnika tänav and Endla tänav – are relocated around Kristiine Keskus, the current Circle K gas station will be removed and a green area created for pedestrians. The precise location of the stops at Kristiine Keskus will be decided in cooperation with the shopping mall, Lippus said.

Construction will not start before 2028

For the moment, these plans have all been set out in the preliminary designs. While Tallinn City Planning Department said when presenting the preliminary design to the Kristiine city council that the final design is expected to be ready by the end of the year, Lippus said that may not end up being the case.

"At the moment, there has been cooperation between the city authorities, which will continue. At the city government level, we are just starting to discuss it and so there is no definite [timetable] in place at the moment. There's a lot of uncertainty. Our desire is certainly to move forward with this at a fast pace because it is a definitely an important loose end that needs to be tied up," Lippus said.

Asked when work on the first phase could begin, the deputy mayor said it was unlikely to happen before 2028.

The city has not yet calculated how much the hub's reconstruction could cost.

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