At its meeting on 12 January 2023, the Buildings and Public Areas Sub-committee of the City of Helsinki selected VM Suomalainen Oy as the contractor for the renovation of Mannerheimintie. The tender was based on price and quality, and the contractor was selected with a 60% weighting on price and 40% on quality.
On the basis of comparison, VM Suomalainen Oy submitted the most economically reasonable bid. The procurement was made through a negotiated procedure and Mannerheimintie will be renovated as a project management contract.
“The potential contractors went through a three-stage round of negotiations with the city before submitting their final bids. The aim of the negotiations was to specify the contract package and to find the best possible solutions for the renovation," says Liisa Taskila, Unit Manager at the Urban Environment Division, explaining the procurement of the contractor.
Building both above and below the street
Work on the street will start on 6 March 2023 with preparatory work, including the construction of the traffic arrangements. The section of Mannerheimintie between Postikatu and Reijolankatu will be renovated. During this work, the municipal infrastructure, which is about 100 years old, will be renewed. Municipal infrastructure means water supply pipelines, district heating and cooling pipelines, and electricity and telecommunication cables.
As part of the work, Mannerheimintie bridge across Baana between Kiasma and the Finnish Parliament Annex will also be renewed. In addition, street surfaces will be renewed and new tram tracks will be built over a distance of 2.6 km. The renovation will improve traffic flow and safety, for example by separating cycle lanes from pavements.
The renovation will be carried out in two parts. First to be built will be the section between Postikatu and Runeberginkatu, then moving on to the section between Runeberginkatu and Reijolankatu. VM Suomalainen Oy will be the contractor on both sections. The aim is to have the work completed by the end of 2025.
The roadworks will affect mobility in the area
The roadworks will start from Postikatu, proceeding northwards The renovation will have a major impact on mobility in the area. The work will cause changes in the walking, cycling, public transport and motor vehicle routes. Traffic arrangements will be changed several times as the project progresses. Passageways will be marked as clearly as possible.
On Mannerheimintie, only one lane will be in use in both directions for the duration of the work. There will be changes to the tram and bus routes through the project area. Tram routes 4 and 10 will run through Töölö via Runeberginkatu and Arkadiankatu instead of their normal routes. HSL will communicate changes to public transport on its website hsl.fi(Link leads to external service) in more detail.
During the work, it will still be possible to walk, cycle, use a wheelchair, drive and use public transport, but journeys may take longer than usual. Residents should allow more time than usual to get around the area and, if possible, use public transport. Access to buildings will be ensured.
The city will provide more details on the impact of the work and traffic arrangements closer to the start of the project. The project will have its own communication channels where residents and businesses can follow the progress of the work.
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The story has been edited on February 9, 2023: information about the detour of tram lines has been modified.
