‘Santalahden rantasilta bridge’, the new overpass bridge in Santalahti, open for use
Work on the structures of the new overpass bridge in Santalahti is almost complete, and Santalahden rantasilta bridge, as it has been named, will be opened for pedestrians on Wednesday 1 December. The bridge goes to Santalahti over Rantatie, Paasikiventie and the tramway line coming from Pispalanrinne. Pavement work on the bridge’s observation deck towards Lake Näsijärvi is still ongoing, and will be completed during December. The new overpass bridge is being opened for use now because the old overpass bridge that was in use during the works will be removed and relocated by the City of Tampere to serve as two new overpass bridges in Vihiojanpuisto park.
Santalahden rantasilta bridge will be fully complete later
On the side of Lake Näsijärvi, Santalahden rantasilta bridge will be completed to meet the design during December, except for the landscaping, which will be done in the spring. Partially in use now, the observation deck will be fully completed by Christmas. Work on the bridge lighting and the drainage system underneath the bridge have started and will continue until next year, but the works do not prevent pedestrians from using the bridge. The end of the bridge in Pispalanharju will also be completed at a later time. At this stage, stairs have been constructed on the side of Pispalanharju due to the housing construction work on Rantatie preventing the south section of the bridge from being completed to meet the design. The stairs also have ramps for taking bicycles and prams over the bridge, but cycling is prohibited on the bridge for the time being for safety reasons. Cycle routes and unobstructed access are marked with signs in the area. The lift for the Pispalanharju side of the bridge will be installed during next year.
When the bridge is commissioned, cyclists will be directed to use the Rantatie carriageway, which is the final traffic arrangement for cycling in the area. The speed limit for Rantatie will also be final according to the design: 30 kilometres per hour. Unobstructed access and cycle route from Pispalanharju to Rantatie will be implemented later, via a square that is planned for the area. The City of Tampere will be able to have the square and cycle route constructed after the housing construction on Rantatie is completed, according to the current estimate in 2023.
Old overpass bridge will be relocated
The old Santalahti overpass bridge has been providing passage temporarily during the works, and once the new bridge is opened for use, the old bridge will be relocated in two parts to Vihiojanpuisto park, where it will replace two dilapidated wooden bridges for pedestrians and cyclists over the Vihioja ditch. The lifting of the old Santalahti overpass bridge will take place during two nights in week 49. The lifting work will cause changes to the lanes on Paasikiventie as the work site and lifting machines will use the south and north carriageways alternately. When this happens, only one lane will serve traffic in both directions where the work site is.
Construction of the western section of the tramway line between Pyynikintori and Santalahti will continue as planned for the rest of the year. Slab track installation and casting is taking place on Sepänkatu and Rantatie. After the cover has been cast for the Sepänkatu bridge, void filling will start on the side of the bridge. The building of support walls, relocation of wires and foundation work for the tracks are taking place on Paasikivenkatu and Rantatie.