The Vuosaari road tunnel will be closed to traffic from 6 January onwards due to repairs to the tunnel. The tunnel technology and structures will be updated in their entirety to ensure safe and smooth driving in the tunnel also in the coming years. During the tunnel’s closure, traffic will be directed to a detour from Ring Road III via Itäväylä, Kallvikintie and Niinisaarentie to Vuosaari harbour. The estimated duration of the tunnel closure is around one year.
Renovation work requiring the closure of the Vuosaari road tunnel will begin on 6 January 2026. The start of the closure was scheduled at the beginning of the year so that the port’s freight traffic can use the tunnel during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Work in the tunnel will begin with the dismantling of all old technical systems and the repair of tunnel structures.
“The Vuosaari tunnel has served traffic in the area for nearly 20 years. In order for traffic in the tunnel to remain safe and to avoid unexpected disruptions in the coming years, the technology that has come to the end of its life cycle must be replaced. The work will be extensive and involve the renewal of all important systems such as fire detectors, smoke extraction and ventilation, cameras, and lighting. At the same time, the tunnel’s structures will be repaired and the drainage and fire-extinguishing water systems that are under the tunnel will be replaced,” details Jukka Värri, Project Manager at Fintraffic.
Preparatory work outside the Vuosaari road tunnel will begin in late summer. These include the construction of a new equipment space. During the preparatory work, temporary traffic arrangements will be in place outside the tunnel. This has allowed the start of the tunnel closure to be pushed forward, so it does not overlap with the repair of the Vuosaari metro bridge and the interruption of metro traffic. This has ensured that the impacts on traffic in the area will remain as controlled as possible.
Safety regulations require a full closure
During the construction work, which will begin in January 2026, the Vuosaari road tunnel will be completely closed to traffic, as strict safety regulations for tunnels do not allow traffic in a tunnel whose safety systems are not in use. These systems are necessary for the safe evacuation of the tunnel in the event of a disruption. Safety systems include fire alarm, smoke extraction, ventilation, extinguishing water, and disruption detection systems. In addition, the occupational safety of construction work requires adequate escape routes, which in a long tunnel will lead to an adjacent tunnel. For these reasons, the adjacent tunnel must also be closed to traffic.
“We have carried out extensive investigations of implementation options, but unfortunately the renovation cannot be carried out without the tunnel being completely closed. We understand that the closure will have negative impacts in the area, even though a number of measures have been taken to minimise these impacts. However, the safety of long highway tunnels is guided both by official regulations as well as requirements determined by the EU, which also need to be complied with during the repair work. In addition, tunnel safety requirements do not allow two-way traffic in a single tunnel. For this reason, safety regulations will not allow demolition and renovation work to be carried out in smaller parts, for example only in one tunnel at a time,” Jukka Värri continues.
Traffic will be transferred to an improved detour
The Vuosaari road tunnel will be closed for about a year due to repairs, during which time its official alternative route Ring Road III-Itäväylä-Kallvikintie-Niinisaarentie-Satamakaari-Vuosaari harbour will serve as the detour. The official alternative route has been used regularly, for example, during the maintenance of the tunnel, so it is already a familiar route for many.
The City of Helsinki and the Uusimaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment have made several improvements to the spare route to make everyday traffic as smooth as possible when the tunnel is not in use. The most significant measures have been the construction of additional lanes at the Itäväylä and Kallvikintie junction and the Niinisarentie and Kallvikintie roundabout. In addition, the Niinisaarentie and Porslahdentie roundabout and the Niinisaarentie and Satamakaari junction have been improved to meet special transport requirements.
“A number of improvements have now been made to the detour in order to make traffic as smooth as possible for the duration of the closure. During the early autumn, we will consider possible further improvements so that traffic can also be managed better during peak periods. Intensified winter maintenance will also be provided during winter, so that especially the heavy traffic to the harbour can travel in slippery weather and that their journey will not come to a halt even on inclines,” Jukka Värri explains.
The tunnel project has been a joint effort by many actors. Fintraffic has engaged in close cooperation with the City of Helsinki and the ELY Centre for Uusimaa, which have been responsible for planning the alternative route. During the planning phase, a lot of cooperation has also been carried out with the Vuosaari harbour, as more than half of the tunnel traffic is related to harbour operations. Efforts have been made to distribute information on the tunnel closure as early as possible to the area’s residents. Local companies and early childhood education and care actors have also been provided information well in advance about the impacts of the tunnel closure to ensure the smooth running of everyday life in the best possible way.
Project information:
The Vuosaari road tunnel runs from the Ring Road III interchange on Itäväylä to Vuosaari harbour. The tunnel is about 1.5 kilometres long with two lanes in each direction. Vehicles travelling in different directions drive in their own tunnel tubes. On average, around 7,650 cars and 2,700 heavy goods vehicles pass through the tunnel every day. The tunnel opened in 2008, and more than half of its traffic is port traffic.
Fintraffic is responsible for the Vuosaari road tunnel's renovation project and for commissioning improvement work on the alternative route. The City of Helsinki and the Uusimaa ELY Centre will be responsible for planning improvements to the alternative route. The tunnel renovation will be carried out by a consortium made up of Destia and Normivalaistus.
For more information on the project, please see the project web page at fintraffic.fi/vuosaarentunneli.
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