The 15-year contract between the Finnish Transport Agency and the road construction company Tieyhtiö Nelostie Oy concerning the planning, funding, construction and maintenance of the Lahti motorway stretch between Järvenpää and Lahti has expired. Today the motorway will be handed over to the Finnish Transport Agency.
In 1997–1999 nearly 70 kilometres of the Lahti motorway were built, including 88 new bridges. The construction proceeded at a fast pace and each day about 80 metres of new motorway were completed. Road aesthetics were also taken into consideration in the implementation of the motorway. At every major intersection the municipalities in the region each erected a work of art reflecting their special identity.
The benefits of the motorway have exceeded the costs more than expected. Today about 25,000 vehicles use the motorway daily compared to 14,000 in 1998. On peak days the number of vehicles has reached 40,000. Thanks to the motorway 20–30 million euros in public funds can be saved each year due to the reduced number of accidents and a smoother traffic flow.
The total costs of the project, including planning, construction, maintenance, funding and administration as well as the Finnish Transport Agency's own costs amounted to 235 million euros.
The motorway was realised by using the life-cycle model
In Finland the Lahti motorway was the first road project where the life-cycle model was implemented. In accordance with the life-cycle model the service provider, Tieyhtiö Nelostie Oy, received compensation based on the amount of traffic using the road from the purchaser, the Finnish Transport Agency, at the inauguration of the constructed motorway. The Finnish Transport Agency did not pay the road construction company, Tieyhtiö Nelostie Oy, a service charge until the motorway was opened to traffic. The contract included a condition according to which the service charge would depend on the amount of traffic, with a yearly upper limit, which was reached for the first time in 2009.
Now when the contract has expired the road is handed over to the Finnish Transport Agency without any charge and in the agreed upon condition. According to the duration of the contract the handover condition corresponds to the condition of a 15 year old motorway. The handover has been prepared by undertaking road condition tests on the basis of which repairs and remedial maintenance have been carried out during the last two years.
The advantage of the life-cycle model used in the Lahti motorway project has been the fast, efficient and high-quality implementation and the good maintenance level. When this model is used the focus in construction management lies on the whole sphere of responsibility instead of being scattered among different projects. Responsibilities and risks can be shared in an expedient way and there is an incentive for the service provider to keep the road in good condition on a continuous basis.