More safety and shorter travel times for road users in Hämeenkyrö and Eurajoki

The new road section in Hämeenkyrö means safer travel and shorter travel times

The new ten-kilometre section of Main Road 3 in Hämeenkyrö will mean safer travel and shorter travel times. The new road section, opened to traffic at the end of November, has 11 bridges, three grade-separated junctions, three kilometres of pedestrian and bicycle paths and a large number of noise barriers. As a result, travelling on Main Road 3 is now safer and smoother.

“The new section eliminated one of the most troublesome parts of Main Road 3. On average, more accidents occurred on this section than on other main road sections. The new four-lane section has higher speed limits, which means shorter travel times, while the use of crash barriers between carriageways will also mean safer travel. Opening of the new section also provides the Municipality of Hämeenkyrö with new land use opportunities along the new and the old highway,” explains Akseli Nurmi, Project Manager at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.

With the new road section, travel times between Tampere and Vaasa will get shorter and the benefits will also be felt by commercial traffic.

The new road section in Hämeenkyrö was opened about one year ahead of schedule. This was due to such factors as high-quality planning, successful cooperation between the parties involved, the opportunities offered by model-based construction and the use of circular economy.

“I am particularly satisfied with the cooperation with our stakeholders, which has enhanced the acceptability of the project. At the same time, the new road section opens up concrete opportunities for development in the Hämeenkyrö region. For this reason, it is really great that the ideas put forward by the municipality during the project could be incorporated in the development process,” Nurmi adds.

The new section of Main Road 8 means safer and speedier travel

The work to improve Main Road 8 in Eurajoki was completed in November on schedule and below budget. Total construction costs amounted to less than EUR 20 million.

“Construction costs were substantially below the cost estimate prepared for the road plan. Selection of the right contract model, clear and unambiguous contract documents, risk sharing and, last but not least, adequate competition were the most important reasons why the project stayed within the budget,” says Kari Partiainen, Project Manager at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.

About 4.5 kilometres of new road close to the centre of Eurajoki and a new passing lane in the direction towards Rauma were constructed as part of the project. In addition, five new bridges, one kilometre of noise barriers, eight kilometres of road and street lighting as well as two grade-separated junctions were also built. The project also required arrangements involving parallel roads and streets as well as new pedestrian and bicycle paths. 

Successful completion of the project was made possible by cooperation and active interaction during the planning process and the construction stage.

“Active interaction with stakeholders during the planning process and high quality planning provided a solid basis for the construction work. The administrative processes also fitted perfectly to the original construction schedule, which means that the rest of the project was ‘just’ a matter of basic construction work,” Partiainen concludes.

The project was carried out as a design and build contract, in which smooth cooperation between the builder, the contractor and the designer is a key requirement. In Eurajoki, interaction and scheduling went as planned and the parties were able to react quickly to unforeseen situations.

“When you coat the basics with active and timely communications at right levels, you get an excellent recipe for success,” says Partiainen, summing up the project. 

A good year despite challenges

A total of seven development projects were completed during 2022 and the year also saw the completion of four major basic infrastructure improvement projects. 

“As in previous years, infrastructure construction also progressed quite well during 2022 even though the current geopolitical situation has caused availability problems and major increases in material costs. We have built new and safer roads and renovated railway structures to ensure that they meet today’s needs and requirements. In addition to the road projects completed this year, the completion of the signalling upgrade on the railway line between Tampere and Seinäjoki is also an important part of ensuring smooth operations on the main line from Helsinki to Northern Finland,” says Magnus Nygård who started as Division Director, Projects, at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency in December.

“Special thanks go to project contractors who have all done their job well,” Nygård adds.