The lane changes at the construction site will be started from the direction of Postitalo, and they will be made throughout the night. The changes in traffic arrangements are expected to be completed during Wednesday.
Traffic controllers will be directing traffic during the change work, and cars will be directed to the temporary driving lanes in stages, starting from the south. Making traffic arrangement changes along the entire busy 1.3-kilometre main street is a massive operation that is likely to cause traffic jams.
Once traffic has been transferred to the temporary driving lanes and the eastern part of Mannerheimintie has been fenced off as a construction site, the demolition of the old asphalt surface and rails will begin at the construction site.
Trees to be felled during the Mannerheimintie renovation
The lines of trees along Mannerheimintie will be renewed during the renovation. Tree felling will take place in March, before the bird nesting season. Some 90 trees will be felled on the section between Postikatu and Runeberginkatu. Tree felling will begin with street trees on the western side of Mannerheimintie.
The decision to fell the trees was made in the street plan for the southern part of Mannerheimintie. Most of the trees to be felled are street trees, but according to the street plan, as the work progresses, trees will also be felled from the edge of Hesperianpuisto park.
New lines of street trees will be planted in a slightly different location than the current ones. At the same time, the trees are provided with better growth beds, giving them better preconditions for growth. The current street trees would be unlikely to survive as deep excavations are made right next to their root systems.
Changes in traffic arrangements
Motor vehicle traffic
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Driving lanes will be removed from Mannerheimintie between Postikatu and Runeberginkatu. After the change, Mannerheimintie will have one driving lane in each direction.
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Motor vehicle access from Aurorankatu to Mannerheimintie will be closed.
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Motor vehicle access from Eteläinen Hesperiankatu to Mannerheimintie will be closed.
Bicycle and pedestrian traffic
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Bicycle and pedestrian traffic will be transferred to the western side of Mannerheimintie and to alternative routes via Hesperianpuisto, Hakasalmenpuisto and Töölönlahti.
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Access to the properties along the street will be maintained throughout the renovation.
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There will be six crossings for pedestrians and cyclists over the construction site on Mannerheimintie on the section between Postikatu and Runeberginkatu.
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There will be temporary interruptions to the Baana route during the demolition of Mannerheimintie bridge, but Baana will otherwise remain open. The dates and duration of the interruptions as well as alternative routes will be announced in advance.
Public transport
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The Kiasma charter bus stop will remain in use and an extension will be left for the buses.
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Other stops: The temporary Mannerheimintie bus stop in the direction of the city centre will remain at its current location at Mannerheimintie 40. The stop for buses travelling away from the city centre will move slightly towards the north. The National Museum bus stop in Eduskuntapuisto will remain at its current location.
Information available through several different channels
The renovation project includes the replacement of the water pipes, power cables and other municipal infrastructure under the street as well as the tram tracks and the bridge across the Baana route, and the construction of one-way bicycle lanes on Mannerheimintie.
You can follow the progress of the construction project through the following channels:
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Up-to-date information about the construction site and the current traffic arrangements will be updated on the contractor’s website at manskunkatutyöt.fi(Link leads to external service) (Link leads to external service)
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Follow the renovation project on Facebook: facebook.com/uusimannerheimintie(Link leads to external service) (Link leads to external service)
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Basic information about the renovation project on the city website: hel.fi/mannerheimintie/en
Mannerheimintie renovation project in numbers
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Time for pipeline renovation – The oldest water pipeline still in use on Mannerheimintie dates back to 1877.
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Meanwhile, under the street – 2.3 km of new water pipeline and 3.1 km of new rainwater drains.
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New rails – 2.6 km of new tram tracks.
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Second-oldest bridge in Helsinki to be rebuilt – The Mannerheimintie bridge across Baana dates back to 1894.
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Helsinki’s largest street renovation project – The work area is approx. 2.8 km long and 102,000 m2 in area.
