The city councils of Helsinki and Espoo have approved the new cost estimate for Jokeri Light Rail, and now the alliance is preparing to start the construction. Construction of the light rail is planned to start at the beginning of June at several sites in both Helsinki and Espoo. More information on the schedule and impact of the construction will be provided during May.
Espoo City Council approved the new cost estimate for Jokeri Light Rail on Monday 29 April. The light rail will be implemented with the alliance model. The cost estimate drawn up for the implementation of the light rail during the development phase is 386 million euros according to the price level in November 2018. Helsinki’s share of the costs is 268 and Espoo’s 118 million euros. Helsinki City Council already approved the cost estimate earlier at a meeting held on 13 March.
‘Jokeri Light Rail is a profitable project for the cities, owing especially to the land use benefits brought by the new rail connection. The light rail increases the appeal of the areas as locations for housing and business and makes it possible to make the urban structure denser along sustainable transport connections. Jokeri Light Rail will realise the strategic goals of Helsinki and Espoo regarding the network city and carbon-neutrality and, of course, counter the already-acute capacity problem of trunk line 550,’ says Public Works Director for Espoo Harri Tanska.
Preparation for starting the construction is well underway
In the preparations for the construction of Jokeri Light Rail, the aim is to have the alliance parties sign the agreement on the implementation of the light rail in May, so that the construction can begin right away at the beginning of June. The construction is planned to start at several sites in both Helsinki and Espoo. The first steps are the construction of temporary traffic arrangements, cutting and cable transfers. More information on the schedule and impact of the construction will be provided during May through channels such as the Jokeri Light Rail website. According to the current schedule, the operation of the light rail will begin in June 2024.
The clients of the Jokeri Light Rail alliance are the cities of Helsinki and Espoo. The service providers are the contractors YIT Finland Oy and NRC Group Finland Oy (formerly VR Track Oy), and the design organisations are Sitowise Oy, Ramboll Finland Oy and NRC Group Finland Oy.
Further information:
Juha Saarikoski
Client’s Project Director
tel. 040 336 0117
juha.saarikoski@hel.fi
Ari Bergström
Alliance Project Manager
tel. 040 830 7336
ari.bergstrom@yit.fi