Over the next few years, several streets in the centre and industrial area of Herttoniemi will undergo changes. The roadworks will begin in autumn 2020 and will progress in stages. In addition to this, smaller changes are being made to the intersection of Linnanrakentajantie and Laivalahdenkatu, where a fatal traffic accident took place in May.
The first street improvements to begin in autumn 2020
The number of residents in Herttoniemi and Laajasalo is rising. The roadworks are intended to improve the area’s transport connections and facilitate the construction of new residential buildings.
The first streets to undergo changes will be Suunnittelijankatu and the southern end of Laivalahdenkatu. The construction will begin in early autumn 2020 and is estimated to be complete in late 2021 or early 2022. The schedule will be updated once the site’s development phase is finished. At that time, more information will be made available about the work.
During the construction, Suunnittelijankatu will be turned from a two-lane street to a four-lane one. Cycling lanes will become one way lanes. The changes to Suunnittelijankatu will improve connections between Itäväylä and Laajasalo and provide smoother access to shopping centre Hertsi.
Pavements and one way cycling lanes will be added to either side of Laivalahdenkatu. Different transport modes will be separated more clearly. A pair of bus stops will be built near Työnjohtajankatu. The junction at the intersection of Laivalahdenkatu and Linnanrakentajantie, as well as the central reservation for pedestrians and cyclists, will be widened. The number of car lanes at the Laivalahdenkatu intersection will remain the same.
The construction will continue in stages
The plan is for the works on Laivalahdenkatu to progress north to Työnjohtajankatu in 2021–2022. At the same time, Työnjohtajankatu and Insinöörinkatu will be renovated, and a new extension will be constructed for Insinöörinkatu all the way to Konemestarinkatu.
In 2022, the aim is to begin the renovation of Herttoniemi metro terminal and station, which may include other construction work as well. Once the renovation at the terminal has been completed, the nearby streets of Hiihtomäentie and Hiihtäjäntie will be renewed.
Linnanrakentajantie is estimated to be renovated in 2023–2025. The plan is to build bus lanes, one way cycling lanes and wider central reservations, and change the car lane widths to match the speed limits. Two automatic, camera-operated monitoring stations will be installed at the Laivalahdenkatu junction.
While Linnanrakentajantie is being renovated, the plan is to also renew the bridge over Itäväylä and the road connection from Linnanrakentajantie to Itäväylä towards Itäkeskus. New stops will be built on Itäväylä. The plan is to build Linnanrakentajantie in a way that leaves room for a tram in the future.
The aim is to start renovating Abraham Wetterin tie simultaneously with the construction of Linnanrakentajantie, which is estimated to take place in 2024. Cycling lanes will be turned into one way lanes, and the junction of Johan Sederholmitie will be made safer.
In 2025–2026, the last section of Laivalahdenkatu will be constructed, Konemestarinkatu will be renovated and the work on Insinöörinkatu will be completed.
Changes to traffic arrangements at the Linnanrakentajantie-Laivalahdenkatu
intersection
A traffic accident took place in May at the intersection of Linnanrakentajantie and Laivalahdenkatu, resulting in the death of a cyclist after being hit by a lorry. The police are investigating the cause of the accident. Furthermore, Helsinki’s traffic accident investigation committee will examine the incident to provide detailed information for better traffic safety.
The area has a lot of cars and cyclists. It also has other heavy vehicles in addition to buses because of the construction projects and a high number of jobs nearby.
Since the accident, the city’s traffic planning officers have been assessing the necessary measures to improve the safety of the intersection in question even before the major roadworks commence.
The bicycle lane extension at the intersection of Linnanrakentajantie and Laivalahdenkatu will be painted red to make it more visible to drivers.
In early June, the traffic lights at the Linnanrakentajantie and Laivalahdenkatu intersection were changed so that the light now turns green for the pedestrians and cyclists before the cars, allowing them to start moving before vehicles. The purpose of the change is to ensure drivers see the pedestrians and cyclists better before cars are allowed to make a turn and drive across the zebra crossing.
The city is investigating whether it could install a green arrow light to complement the current traffic lights. This would enable cars to turn, not just when the normal light is green, but also with the green arrow when there is no other traffic. This will require changes to the general traffic light sequencing, and therefore the installation of the new lights will not be confirmed until after more careful planning has been done over the summer.
The intersection will also undergo other, larger-scale changes in the near future. Laivalahdenkatu and Linnanrakentajantie will receive one way cycling lanes and updates that will improve other traffic safety aspects during renovation projects beginning in 2023 and
this autumn.
More information about the plans
Some of the roadwork schedules are estimates, because the planning phase is still ongoing. A general plan is currently being created for the renovation of Linnanrakentajantie. A draft plan will be made available for residents to comment on in autumn 2020.
By subscribing to the Suunnitelmavahti service (available in Finnish), you can receive information about the completion of the draft. You can also view the street plans in Helsinki’s map service(Link leads to external service).
The street plans for blocks around Työnjohtajankatu were approved by the Urban Environment Committee on 14 January 2020. A link to the decision (in Finnish) »(Link leads to external service)
