Tallinn weighs night-time work on Liivalaia Street to ease traffic disruption

Tallinn Mayor Peeter Raudsepp (Isamaa) said on social media this week that roadworks must not bring the capital's traffic to a standstill, adding that he had agreed with the city's deputy mayors on steps to address the issue. He noted that as fall begins, traffic grows heavier and faster while roadworks force detours and delays, regardless of whether people travel by bus, car or bicycle. He pointed to ongoing work at the Hipodroomi intersection, recently started repairs on Sõle tänav, and work on Liivalaia tänav beginning next week.

Deputy mayor Järvan said the mayor's remarks do not mean planned fall work will be postponed — the city would in fact like to repair even more streets than it currently can. He clarified that the measures concern road surface repairs rather than full street reconstruction, and the goal is to carry them out mainly at night and outside peak hours.

Liivalaia tänav repairs long overdue

Starting next week, surface repairs will begin on Liivalaia tänav between Juhkentali tänav and Pärnu maantee, lasting about two months. The city plans to shift this work to nighttime hours, though as of this week the contractor had not yet received a night-work permit. Järvan said such permits are standard practice for major arterial roads, since repair work and traffic management measures are barred during peak hours on these routes. However, noisier tasks such as asphalt milling will also occur at night, potentially disturbing nearby residents — a trade-off Järvan called necessary.

He acknowledged that resurfacing Liivalaia tänav now means the street won't get a full reconstruction for years, since neighboring Pärnu maantee must be reconstructed by 2029 and doing both simultaneously would not make sense.

Peterburi tee decision still pending

One of the capital's largest ongoing reconstruction projects is on the section of Peterburi tee closest to the city center, expected to be completed by late October. The city is still deciding whether to remove the road's old concrete base, which has become uneven over the decades — a move that would mean significantly more work and higher costs. Järvan added that this year the city worked to complete procurements and contracts earlier, so that next year's roadworks can start in early summer and be spread more evenly throughout the year, reducing fall congestion.