The renovation of the Itsenäisyydenkatu bridge and the station tunnel will promote public transport in Tampere's most important traffic hub. The project is designed by Sitowise.
The renovation of the Itsenäisyydenkatu underpass and Station Tunnel will promote public transport in Tampere's most important traffic and mobility hub. The starting point for the design is an unrestricted and comfortable travel center area.
One of Finland's busiest urban centers and intersections of different traffic modes will undergo a complete transformation in the coming years.
The Itsenäisyydenkatu underpass and the Station Tunnel will be combined into a new entity with its business premises and traffic areas.
Sitowise Oy is responsible for planning the project. The design work includes the construction planning of the Itsenäisyydenkatu underpass bridge and the Station Tunnel, as well as the functions associated with it.
The project is part of the development of the Tampere Kansi area. This is a large-scale project that will make the center of Tampere more cohesive and bring new services, jobs and residents to the area.
- The project is a big part of the development of the Kansi area and an important opening in the implementation of the Station Center. It will improve accessibility between the city center and the station region and will certainly increase the attractiveness of Tampere and the functionality of the city center, says Timo Karjalainen, Regional Director at Sitowise.
- The project is significant for Tampere, and it is great that construction planning starts with the top professionals. The travel terminal which will be built in this project will improve the accessibility, comfort and safety of the entire area, comments Henri Väänänen, project development manager of the Asemakeskus project from the City of Tampere.
- From the The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency's point of view, the planning project is a significant part of a possible Tampere passenger track yard project, which will create the conditions for the future as part of the station center and track yard deck projects, says project manager Mikko Heiskanen from The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.
The travel terminal which will be built in this project will improve the accessibility, comfort and safety of the entire area.
Henri Väänänen, The City of Tampere
The renovation on the Itsenäisyydenkatu underpass will ensure the smooth flow of growing traffic and various travel chains, as well as improve the accessibility of the quay area.
The safety and comfort of the travel center area will be increased by seeking and space in the design.
- The travel center is a hub for traffic and mobility, which combines different modes of transport into a smooth whole. The planning starts from the perspective of public transport and citizens, says Karjalainen.
The sight is a hub of mobility that combines different modes of transport into a smooth flow. Public transport and residents of the city are the starting point for planning.
Timo Karjalainen, Sitowise
- The renewal of the Itsenäisyydenkatu underpass and the Station Tunnel is the first and important part of the construction of Tampere's new station centre, says Kai Perhola, Property Development Manager at VR Group.
- From a passenger perspective, it enables seamless travel chains and smooth changes from tram to train. The comfortable surroundings and the new services in the Station Tunnel improve the passenger experience and attract more passengers to the tracks both inside Tampere and in long-distance transport, Perhola says.
The renewal of the Itsenäisyydenkatu underpass and the Station Tunnel is the first and important part of the construction of Tampere's new station centre.
Kai Perhola, VR Group
Widening the tunnel opening on Itsenäisyydenkatu street will also create more space for light traffic. As a whole, the development of the Kansi area supports sustainable development.
- It enables efficient use of public transport equipment and strengthens the urban structure, says Regional Director Timo Karjalainen.
The design of the Itsenäisyydenkatu underpass is a multidisciplinary project because it connects several modes of transport and connects to the station building.
-The project is extensive and challenging, but it has a good starting point with the previous successful planning phases. It is a great place for us to prove our competence, and we welcome the challenge, says Karjalainen.
Sitowise has previously been heavily involved in the planning of travel centre projects in Nokia, Seinäjoki, Jyväskylä and Lahti, among others.
Tampere's current Itsenäisyydenkatu underpass is at the end of its life cycle. It was completed in stages between 1935 and 1937 and has been widened in 1989. The bridge has eight tracks and the bridge structure of the Ratapihankatu street. The station tunnel was built in 1989.
The design ensures that some of the tracks and the connections under the bridge remain in use at all times, even though untypical structural solutions are needed in the construction.
Ari Savolainen, Sitowise
- The renewal of the Itsenäisyydenkatu underpass is an exceptionally demanding project, says Ari Savolainen, Director of Bridges and Infrastructure unit at Sitowise.
The starting point for the design is that rail traffic above and the traffic of trams, vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians under the bridge can continue uninterrupted during construction. In order to ensure the continuity of rail traffic, the bridge will be renewed in stages, one block at a time.
- The phased construction is exceptional, and it is also reflected in the design. The design ensures that some of the tracks and also the necessary connections under the bridge can remain in use at all times, Savolainen says.
As a whole, the renewal of the Tampere Itsenäisyydenkatu underpass is one of the largest bridge projects to be implemented in Finland.
- Sitowise has long been involved in railway projects that required exceptional structural solutions. The Tampere station area is a natural continuation of this, Savolainen says.
The multidiscipliner project requires multidiscipliner expertise. This requires, among other, bridge, traffic, lighting, building technology, geotechnical and municipal engineering design.
- Design work is carried out not only from Tampere, but also from Espoo and Turku. The best experts in the company, regardless of regional limits, are involved, says Timo Karjalainen.
In addition to Sitowise's own experts, Sitowise's partners Helamaa & Heiskanen Oy and Proxion Oy, an expert company specialising in rail infrastructure projects, play an important role in the design.
The construction planning will start in 2021 and is due to be completed in 2022. The project is funded by The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, the City of Tampere and VR Group. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency acts as a developer and subscriber.
Ari Savolainen
Director of Bridges and Infrastructure unit at Sitowise
Ari.Savolainen@sitowise.com
+358 40 163 7772
Timo Karjalainen
Regional Director at Sitowise
Timo.Karjalainen@sitowise.com
+358 40 686 3748