In January 2026, the Vuosaari road tunnel was closed to all traffic for roughly one year due to the need for extensive renovations. Work on the tunnel has progressed well on schedule during the first three months.
"Work on the tunnel is in full swing. It’s being carried out in two shifts and there are about 50 people on site. The demolition work is nearly complete and we've been able to start building the new structure. Next, we'll move on to the electrical work in the connecting corridors. “Overall, work on the tunnel is progressing well and on schedule,” says Fintraffic’s Project Manager Jukka Värri with satisfaction.
The extensive renovation includes the upgrading of all technical systems in the tunnel. This includes fire alarms, smoke extraction, ventilation and alarm systems, lighting, cameras and traffic management systems. In addition, tunnel structures are being repaired and the drainage and fire-extinguishing water systems under the tunnel are being replaced.
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 repair work. For this reason, demolition and renovation work cannot be carried out in smaller parts, such as one tunnel tube at a time, and the work must progress as a consistent whole. The construction work will last for about a year, after which the tunnel originally opened in 2008 will be reopened in renovated condition for traffic use.
Traffic on the detour has flowed smoothly throughout the winter thanks to forward planning
During the closure, all traffic from Ring Road III has been diverted to an official alternate route: Ring Road III–Itäväylä–Kallvikintie–Niinisaarentie–Satamakaari–Vuosaari harbour.
Overall, the winter season on the detour went smoothly, despite the heavy traffic and changeable weather conditions. People have allowed plenty of time for their journeys, which is evident from the fact that, even at the busiest times, traffic has flowed smoothly with drivers showing consideration for one another and avoiding unnecessary overtaking. “Given the high volume of lorry traffic, there have been few incidents involving heavy goods vehicles, such as breakdowns, and we’ve been able to deal with them quickly,” says Jukka Värri.
Traffic and weather conditions on the Vuosaari Tunnel detour have been monitored around the clock throughout the winter, and efforts have been made to schedule snow clearance and gritting so that traffic flows as smoothly as possible, even in difficult weather conditions. The City of Helsinki, which is responsible for the winter maintenance of the detour, raised its maintenance to the highest possible category during the winter. Similarly, the economic development centre responsible for the maintenance of Itäväylä specified the area in question in its highest maintenance category. In addition, separate maintenance equipment was reserved for the detour to support the city’s winter maintenance.
The flow of traffic and driving conditions on the detour can be viewed in the free Fintraffic App, which can be downloaded from app stores. You can also view the daily schedules of freight vessels carrying trucks on the Port of Helsinki website.
