Rail Baltic Estonia and construction company Leonhard Weiss OÜ signed a contract. The contract is worth 9.8 million euros. The tunnel will be built between Ülemiste and Lasnamäe. The works should be completed by October 31, 2027.
Currently, access to Ülemiste is mainly via Tartu maantee. The next option for crossing the railway is Smuuli tee, which is over 3 km away. The new tunnel will create a better connection between Peterburi tee and Suur-Sõjamäe street. This will help pedestrians, cyclists, buses, and cars.
The Kantsi tunnel is an important part of the Rail Baltic project. It will help turn Ülemiste into a significant international transport hub. The project connects Estonia with other European countries. It will also help better connect different areas of Tallinn.
Anvar Salomets is the head of Rail Baltic Estonia. He said the tunnel is a major step in developing Ülemiste. The tunnel will make traffic smoother and reduce congestion. It will also provide a sense of security in case of traffic problems.
Kadi Pärnits works on the development of the Ülemiste campus. She emphasized that the tunnel is an important solution. It will help with mobility in the Tartu maantee, Järvevana tee, and Suur-Sõjamäe areas.
Aleksei Dohin is the head of Leonhard Weiss OÜ. He said the contract is an important step for Rail Baltic. The tunnel will improve connectivity and safety. It will also create new opportunities in the future.
Leonhard Weiss has participated in Rail Baltic projects in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The company has built other railway and tunnel projects.
Under the contract, several things will be built. In addition to the tunnel, a new waiting platform and railway substructure will be constructed. This includes embankments, drainage, and other necessary works.
The Tallinn City Council approved the tunnel construction in May 2023.