The Estonian Transport Administration – Transpordiamet - has started procurement for the second construction stage for the Western Tartu Bypass.
Contracts are for the Tallinn–Tartu–Võru–Luhamaa highway section of the bypass. In total, 2.5km of state roads will be rebuilt, 2km of city roads will be reconstructed and 2.4km of new city streets will be built along with five roundabouts.
Footpaths will be added along the main highways and connected to existing footpaths. Around 8.4km of shared-use paths in total will be built or reconstructed. New lighting will be added to all highways and streets. A truck park and a rest area will be built in the Võru-to-Tallinn direction. The Riia intersection will become multi-level, with the Tallinn–Tartu–Võru–Luhamaa direct route moved to the “turbo” roundabout, according to the agency.
To improve pedestrian and cyclist safety, multi-level overpasses will be constructed for all directions at the Riia interchange. A multi-level crossing will also be built at the Jõhvi–Tartu–Valga highway, by the Aardla and Optika streets roundabout.
Decorative lighting will be added, as well as sound barriers to improve the quality of life for nearby residents. A separate environmental and greenery project will be set up for the entire section of road.
The estimated cost of procurement is nearly €31 million of which Transpordiamet will cover €27.3 million and the city of Tartu around €2.8 million. Work is set to start this spring for completion by early 2023, according to Transpordiamet.
Project planner is Tallinn-based urban design consultancy Teedeprojekt, which was awarded “Best Designer 2017” by Transpordiamet. The company is involved in transportation planning as well as the design of sports and leisure facilities. It is a licensed Autodesk and Novapoint user.
Meanwhile, the Estonian Asphalt Pavement Association (ESTAPA) said the national road network needs at least €689 million in the next four years to keep up with maintenance. Tarmo Trei, chief executive of ESTAPA, criticised the government for planning to cut around €113 million from the national road maintenance budget between 2022-2025.
Last November, Kaurits, a subsidiary of Estonian construction group Nordecon, signed a contract with Estonian infrastructure company GRK Infra for earthworks along 10km of the Tallinn-Tartu Highway, from Võõbu to Anna.
Kaurits is improving the road bed and installing culverts along the section which is part of the 18km Võõbu-Mäo road construction project. Kaurits’s deal is worth around €9.5 million and work should be completed by the second half of this year.
The Kose-Võõbu section of Tallinn-Tartu Highway will be the first in Estonia with a 120kph speed limit.
