Fintraffic and the Uusimaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) have selected a consortium formed by Destia and Aventi Oy to carry out the renovation of the Vuosaari road tunnel leading to the port of Vuosaari in Helsinki. The project includes the renewal of tunnel technology and structures along the 1.6-kilometre section connecting Vuosaari Port and Ring Road III. In this approximately EUR 26 million project, Destia is responsible for infrastructure and rock engineering, as well as high-voltage works. Aventi will carry out the telematics and lighting installations.
“Over half of the traffic in the Vuosaari road tunnel consists of port-related traffic, so the tunnel plays a crucial role for the port’s operations and logistics. Our goal is to implement the project as efficiently as possible, minimising disruptions and ensuring smooth progress throughout the works — key factors in our contractor selection,” says Fintraffic’s Project Manager Jukka VärrI.
“The cooperation between the consortium partners worked seamlessly already during the tendering phase. By combining both companies’ specialised expertise and resources efficiently, we were able to strengthen the quality and competitiveness of our proposal,” says Aventi’s Managing Director Juha Pykäläinen.
The project will renew the tunnel’s fire alarm, smoke extraction, ventilation, fire extinguishing and incident detection systems, as well as tunnel lighting and camera-based traffic management systems. In addition, tunnel structures will be repaired, drainage and extinguishing systems beneath the tunnel renewed, and a new transformer building and signage installed in the tunnel area.
During the extensive demolition and reconstruction work, the tunnel will need to be completely closed to traffic in both directions.
“The tunnel’s current technology does not allow traffic to be redirected to one tube at a time, which means the tunnel will be completely closed for approximately one year while the works are carried out. Traffic will be diverted via a detour route. Considering the scope of the project, the relatively short closure period enables an efficient implementation, and work will continue around the clock,” says Eetu Väisänen, Head of the Southern Finland Unit, Infrastructure and Expert Services at Destia.
Due to the technical nature of the work, traffic through the tunnel will be managed alternately through the twin tubes, after which the tunnel will be fully closed for approximately one year. During this time, traffic will be redirected via a detour route. The site will operate mainly at night to minimise disruption to traffic. The detour will follow Itäväylä, Kallvikintie and Niinisaarentie to Vuosaari Port, and it will be improved at several points to ensure smooth traffic flow during the tunnel closure.
Fintraffic is responsible for implementing the tunnel renovation and construction-related detour arrangements. The detour route improvements have been designed by the City of Helsinki and the Uusimaa ELY Centre.
The project has begun with a development phase, during which the working stages, methods and schedule will be specified. This phase will be completed in early July, after which the exact timing of the tunnel closure will be confirmed. Construction on site will begin later in the summer, and the tunnel will be closed to traffic towards the end of the year.
