Renovation of Helsinki’s Vuosaari road tunnel is due to start on January 6, 2026, closing the route to traffic for around 12 months.
The reburbishment will involve updating the tunnel technology and structures. The start of the closure was scheduled at the beginning of the year to allow the port’s freight traffic to use the tunnel in the lead-up to Christmas.
Fintraffic project manager Jukka Värri said the technology in the 17-year-old tunnel had come to the end of its life.
“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,” he said.
Preparatory work outside the tunnel will begin in late summer.
The Vuosaari road tunnel runs from the Ring Road III interchange on Itäväylä to Vuosaari harbour on the Baltic Sea. The twin tunnel is about 1.5km long with two lanes in each direction. On average, around 7,650 cars and 2,700 heavy goods vehicles use 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 of Destia and Normivalaistus.
