Contract Signed for €9.8 Million Rail Baltic Underpass in Tallinn
A new tunnel will be built to connect Tallinn's Lasnamäe and Ülemiste districts, with the first phase due for completion by October 2027.
On Monday, representatives of Rail Baltic Estonia and construction company Leonhard Weiss OÜ signed a contract for the construction of an underpass connecting Tallinn's Lasnamäe and Ülemiste City. The project costs €9.8 million, and the first phase is scheduled to be completed by October 31, 2027.
Currently, the Ülemiste area is mainly accessible via Tartu maantee, and the next opportunity to cross the railway is more than three kilometers away on Smuuli tee. The new tunnel will link Peterburi tee and Suur-Sõjamäe street, improving access for pedestrians, cyclists, public transport, and car traffic. At present, the only way to cross the railway at this location is via a pedestrian bridge.
Rail Baltic Estonia CEO Anvar Salomets stated in a press release that the Kantsi tunnel is much more than a single passage under the railway; it is part of a larger whole that will turn the Ülemiste area into Estonia's most important international mobility hub. In addition to the tunnel, the project includes the construction of a new passenger waiting platform.
The Tallinn City Council approved the construction of this underpass for the Rail Baltica railway route in May last year.
