Jokeri Light Rail line reaches Pakilantie

Construction of the Jokeri Light Rail line has proceeded up to Pakilantie and the Pakilantie Bridge across the Tuusulanväylä motorway in northern Helsinki.

Work at the site will start in February–March this year, said the City of Helsinki in a press release.

According to the local street plan, the light rail line will run through the middle of Pakilantie and Käskynhaltijantie. The Pakilantie Bridge crossing Tuusulanväylä will be modified to comply with the new plans. In conjunction with the construction of the light rail, other local transport infrastructure, including pedestrian and cycling paths, will be renovated and rebuilt.

Preparatory work is under way at the pedestrian and cycling tunnel passing under Pakilantie.

A supporting wall will be built at the tunnel on the northern side of Pakilantie to limit the street area.

Construction work on the Tuusulanväylä Bridge is scheduled to begin in February–March. The bridge will remain in service for traffic throughout the construction period, said the press release.

Work will start in the street section between the Pirjontie roundabout and Tammiontie at the same time as the work on the bridge. The last part of construction is estimated to start in late 2021 at the future light rail stop in front of the Maunula House culture and community centre.

The street construction involves a great deal of municipal infrastructure work. Cables and pipes will have to be moved and replaced, and soil to be reinforced, before streets and street structures can be built.

Pakilantie will be narrowed into a two-lane street at the construction site, so vehicular traffic will flow on one lane only in either direction.

Pedestrian and cycling paths will be maintained throughout the construction period at least on one side of the street.

Pakilantie will remain a two-lane street after the completion of Jokeri Light Rail. Pedestrian and cycling paths will run on both sides of the street.

In its entirety, the work on Pakilantie will continue in stages until 2022. The release said work on the Jokeri Light Rail line is also under way in Oulunkylä and Käskynhaltijantie.