Western Helsinki is developing – West-Helsinki Light Rail project to kick off extensive urban development

Planning relying on rail transport creates a walkable and vibrant city

–West-Helsinki Light Rail is a project of great strategic importance for Helsinki. It facilitates densification of the urban structure, relying on excellent rail transport. This development is also in line with Helsinki’s climate goals, says Land Use Director Rikhard Manninen from the Helsinki Urban Environment Division.

Helsinki aims to direct new construction to areas with good public transport connections. The urban development made possible by the light rail differs from traditional regional construction projects in that it does not create new city districts but connects existing districts to each other better. A good example is light rail line 15,  which was completed two years ago and densifies land use between Keilaniemi in Espoo and Itäkeskus.

The aim is to facilitate the expansion and diversification of commercial and public services in Munkkiniemi, Haaga and Pitäjänmäki. These growing city districts also need sites such as new schools, sports facilities and parks. The housing stock in the areas will also be diversified. Furthermore, the detailed plan for the area pays particular attention to the sufficiency of green and recreational areas. Walking and cycling conditions will also be greatly improved with new routes and bicycle paths.

Planning relying on rail transport creates a city that has housing, jobs and services near each other and a human scale. The area around Huopalahdentie and Vihdintie will become a block city, while the Valimo station region and the Valio area are being planned into a new city centre . The majority of the new blocks will be built on land currently used for transport or industry.

The work will also extend to Töölö and the city centre

A roughly five-kilometre section of the route will be part of the currently existing tram network. A new tramway will be built on Topeliuksenkatu, starting at the junction of Mannerheimintie and Topeliuksenkatu and continuing to the Runeberginkatu junction. On Runeberginkatu, the tram lane will be widened between Töölöntori and Arkadiankatu, and a new tramway will be built on Fredrikinkatu between Bulevardi and Urho Kekkosen katu.

An alliance is in charge of planning and construction

The construction of the West Helsinki Light Rail will be carried out by the Infrastructure Programme Helsinki alliance, which is commissioned by the City of Helsinki, Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd and HSY Helsinki Region Environmental Services. The alliance is also responsible for the planning of the project. Similar alliances have been used in the past in projects such as Jokeri Light Rail, the ‘from Kalasatama to Pasila’ tramway and the Crown Bridges.

–The advantage of a joint alliance is that we can plan and build many sites at the same time. The construction of the tramway provides a rare opportunity to overhaul critical underground infrastructure across the whole city district at the same time. The water supply system that is now being built is intended to work for at least the next 100 years, says Project Director Juha Paahtio, who is in charge of West-Helsinki Light Rail at Metropolitan Area Transport.

Work to start in April next year – resident events to be held in November

According to current information, construction will start in April next year. The changes being made will result in light rail line 14 starting operations in the early 2030s, running along Mannerheimintie and on to Kannelmäki via Meilahti, Munkkiniemi, Haaga and Lassila.

Infrastructure Programme Helsinki will later publish a more detailed work programme indicating when and where construction will be carried out. The first sites to be built include the Haaga roundabout and Vihdintie, for example.

More detailed street plans will be developed together with residents. The next workshop-format resident events will be held on 3 November in Töölö, 6 November in Haaga and 10 November in Munkkiniemi.

Follow the communication channels of West-Helsinki Light Rail

The West-Helsinki Light Rail project will announce future plans, resident events and arrangements during construction through its own communication channels. Residents and other interested parties should follow the channels of the West-Helsinki Light Rail project.

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