Tramway construction from Santalahti to Lentävänniemi is heading towards completion – new bridges are being built and loading berm dismantled in Näsisaari
The construction of section 2B (Santalahti–Lentävänniemi) of the Tampere tramway continues in the autumn in all of the construction sectors, in other words, Santalahti, Hiedanranta and Lentävänniemi. After the construction period in the summer and early autumn, 71% of the work on the western part of the tramway is completed with 68% of the project time passed.
“The construction work has proceeded very well and we are even a little ahead of schedule right now. This year, we will complete most of the track work, with the exception of the Näsisaari section, where the track work will start next spring. The bridge construction in Näsisaari is also well underway and will be completed next year,” says Project Manager Sari Valjus from the Tramway Alliance.
The project in Näsisaari also includes the dismantling of the loading berm.
“The aggregate accumulated in the central parts of the island to accelerate the slump effect is being spread across the edges of the island, and we are also preparing the foundations of the future track. This work phase is expected to be completed during the course of the year,” Valjus estimates.
A total of 6.6 kilometres of tramway will be built on the Pyynikintori-Lentävänniemi section. About 5 kilometres have been completed so far. During the autumn, cabling of the tramway system will continue on the completed rail sections and technical track systems, traffic light systems and street lighting will be installed. In addition, the installation of electric tramway structures will continue.
During the autumn, a significant part of street construction will also be completed, especially in Niemenranta, where the sections of Federleynkatu, Kehyskatu and Lielahdenkatu will be completed in terms of street construction. Planting of trees and other landscaping will still be carried out in the street areas in the autumn. Traffic arrangements in Niemenranta can be partially discontinued when the work is completed.
The first phase of the western section from Pyynikintori to Santalahti was completed in the summer, and tram traffic to Santalahti began, as planned, on 7 August. The tramway from Santalahti to Lentävänniemi is planned to be completed at the end of 2024, and tram traffic to Lentävänniemi will begin on 7 January 2025.
Preparations for track construction underway in Näsisaari – traffic arrangements used in Santalahti
The Näsisaari loading berm was built in the central part of the island, and its dismantling is currently underway on the eastern edge of Näsisaari, on the edge of Pölkkylänniemi.
“On the Pölkkylänniemi side, a significant portion of the loading berm has already been dismantled, altogether approximately a quarter of the entire berm. We will start work on the Hiedanranta side this October,” says Olli Tuomisto, Santalahti Block Manager from the Tramway Alliance.
The elevation of Näsisaari is about two metres from the lake surface, and the loading berm piled on top of the island is up to six and a half metres high. The berm will be dismantled to a height of about 4–5 metres before the construction of the tracks. The aggregate to be dismantled during the autumn will be used to expand the island. The remaining materials will be levelled alongside the upcoming tramway track. The tramway construction in Näsisaari and its bridges is planned for next year.
During the autumn, the bridge project in Näsisaari will proceed to casting. The casting of the Pölkkulänsilta bridge deck is scheduled for the beginning of October. Reinforcement work and casting mould construction are currently underway on the Hiedanranta side of the Hiedansilta bridges. The casting of the northern Hiedansilta deck is planned to be carried out later in the autumn. The construction of pile slabs at the ends of the Hiedansilta bridges and the supporting wall trough connected to Pölkkylänsilta will also start in the autumn in Näsisääri. The construction of the supporting wall will begin with piling at the beginning of October.
The structural engineering of the Rosenlew tramway bridge crossing Paasikiventie road has been completed, and preparatory work for the ballast track and light fixture installations will be carried out on the bridge during the autumn. The street construction in Santalahti has reached its final stages. At the end of September, a new pedestrian and bicycle path section was introduced at the western end of Rantatie, running next to the Rosenlew bridge and joining the pedestrian and bicycle path on the south side of Paasikiventie. The additional lanes built in connection with the tramway construction in Paasikiventie also came into use in September.
In addition to the dismantling of the Näsisaari loading berm, other earthworks and paving works related to the bridge construction will be carried out in Santalahti during the rest of the year.
Hiedanranta track construction nearly completed
In Hiedanranta, all track construction in the area will be completed in the late autumn. In total, there will be 1.5 kilometres of tramway in Hiedanranta. At the end of September, track support measures were carried out on the ballast track sections, setting the track in the correct position. The construction of tramway stop areas at the future Hiedanranta transfer stop, the Tehdas stop and the Niemen kartano stop in Sellupuisto has proceeded according to plan in the summer and early autumn.
“At the moment, paving work is being carried out at the stops, in Nottbeckinaukio and in the Tehdaskartanonkatu area. On Tehdaskartanonkatu, car traffic has been moved to its final location in the track area. However, a temporary detour has been set up for pedestrians and cyclists on the southern side of the factory,” says Jyri Kulha, Hiedanranta Block Manager from the Tramway Alliance.
In addition to the construction of the tramway, the Hiedanranta area is seeing municipal engineering and street construction work carried out by the subcontractors of Hiedanrannan Kehitys Oy, in connection with which there will be changes to the pedestrian and bicycle paths in the Hiedanranta area during the late autumn. In terms of the upcoming transfer stop for tram and bus traffic in Hiedanranta, the City of Tampere will build the stop’s street connections and pedestrian and bicycle paths as a separate project.
The Sellupuisto electricity supply station has been completed and, at the end of the year, the aim is also to start the tramway’s electric track work, in other words, the fitting out of the electric track poles and the installation of the overhead line in Hiedanranta. In addition, the technical systems of the track will be installed. The Hiedanranta electricity supply station is also undergoing instrumentation installations. Earthworks are taking place in Sellupuisto under the Ollinojansilta bridge, which was completed in the summer. The Tramway Alliance will build a gravel-covered park walkway under the bridge for pedestrians and cyclists, a channel to Ollinoja as well as a small animal trail and nature trail. In other respects, the City of Tampere will implement the Sellupuisto area in accordance with a separate park plan.
Track construction finished in Lentävänniemi – street construction has reached its final stage
The final track sections between Lielahdenkatu and Pyhällönpuisto, built in Lentävänniemi this year, have been completed. The final touches during the autumn include installing kerb stones, asphalting roadways and pedestrian and bicycle paths and making the final roadway paintings. Paving works and overhead contact line installations will continue in the Niemenranta and Lentävänniemi areas during the autumn.
“The goal is to complete the street construction on Federleynkatu, Kehyskatu and Lielahdenkatu in October–November, enabling us to start partially dismantling the temporary traffic arrangements. The pedestrian and bicycle path section on the east side of Kehyskatu will be opened later when the supporting wall built on it by the housing construction site is completed. In Halkoniemenkatu, the street construction will also continue into next year,” says Erkka Selonen, Lentävänniemi Block Manager from the Tramway Alliance.
During the autumn, new trees will be planted and grass sown for the lawn track in the Lentävänniemi area. Tasks after the track construction include cabling, setting up overhead contact lines and installing technical systems such as traffic lights and rail switch control and telecommunications systems.
The Tramway Alliance will complete its work for the Niemenranta and Lentävänniemi tram stops this year. Towards the end of the year, the tram drivers’ break room at the Pyhällönpuisto stop will also be completed. At the Pyhällönpuisto terminus, the work will continue through the autumn and next spring.
The installation of stop structures and the equipment at the stops will be carried out by street furniture supplier JCDecaux at various stops during the late autumn and next year.
All traffic arrangements and the other effects of roadworks and night work during the tramway construction will be announced on the Tramway Alliance’s website. Information about the effects on public transport is provided by Nysse. Tampere Tram will provide more information about the art on and future plans for the tramway. More information on traffic arrangements in the Hiedanranta area can be found on the Hiedanrannan Kehitys Oy website.