Corridor set for four-lane Tallinn–Narva highway between Haljala and Kukruse

A corridor for a future road has been defined along a 67-kilometre section of Estonia's Tallinn–Narva highway, between Haljala and Kukruse. The spatial plan for this stretch has been put out for public consultation. It is the last section of the highway for which such a plan had not yet been prepared, and it provides the basis for eventually widening the whole route between the capital Tallinn and Narva to four lanes. No specific construction dates have been set.

Work on the plan began four years ago, and the project has already been adjusted in response to residents' proposals. A corridor roughly 350 metres wide has now been chosen. At the next stage, the exact placement of the road, junctions and crossings will be determined within it. This was reported on Saturday, 17 October, by ERR radio news.

Route and problem spots

According to Anne Martin, project manager at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, the plan creates the foundation for making the Tallinn–Narva highway four-lane along its entire length. For the most part, the new road will follow the existing route. In Ida-Viru County, it is planned to run around Purtse and Varja, because the current highway passes too close to homes and cannot be widened without harming housing.

Anti Palmi, head of the Eastern (Ida) road maintenance unit at the Transport Administration, named several trouble spots. They include the Haljala area, where exits toward the port of Kunda are organised through left turns, and the Sõmeru junction, where accidents happen periodically. Particular attention will go to stretches passing through settlements, where pedestrians are next to heavy traffic. The plan also accounts for the possible arrival of large industrial enterprises and the resulting growth in traffic load.

Consultation

The project can be viewed online, and proposals are accepted until 10 November. Six public discussions are scheduled for December. Detailed designs are to be ready by 2029, but it is still unknown when construction will begin.