Premises for planning
Transport infrastructure planning is urban planning, in which transport, land use and regional planning impact on each other. Cooperation between the different parties involved in planning is therefore essential.
Road planning is based on the Highways Act. Railway planning is based on the Railway Act. When planning a new road or railway or upgrading an existing road or track section, the planning must be based on a plan in accordance with the Land Use and Building Act.
The state is responsible for road maintenance. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency maintains Finland’s road network. The Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres) carry out their area’s road maintenance tasks in accordance with the guidance of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency. The ELY Centre's Transport and Infrastructure area of responsibility commissions the planning, construction and maintenance of roads from companies that provide these services. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency may assume responsibility for drawing up a general plan and a road plan for a significant road project. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency will commission the construction of large development investments.
The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency is responsible for maintaining the railways. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency commissions the planning, construction and maintenance of railways from companies that provide these services.
The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency is responsible for maintaining the majority of waterways (more than 80% of the public routes). In addition, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency sees to the maintenance of the channels that are part of Finland’s waterway network (open and lock channels).
Making upgrades to an existing transport route is the primary measure in contrast to building a new road, railway or waterway.
Major national transport infrastructure development projects are programmed, i.e. scheduled centrally, and the Parliament decides on their implementation. Other road projects are programmed by the ELY Centres. Projects other than large national railway projects and waterway projects are programmed by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.
Planning and decision-making
The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency is responsible for the planning, maintenance and construction of railways and waterways under state control and for the implementation of significant road projects.
The Regional Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) commissions the general, road and construction plans for roads. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency may assume responsibility for drawing up a general or a road plan for a significant road project.
Traficom approves the road and rail general plans, road plans and railway plans. Traficom may submit a road or railway plan to the Ministry of Transport and Communications for approval. A general plan for waterways is a technical plan that the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency approves with its own administrative decision. Permit decisions concerning waterways pursuant to the Water Act are issued by Regional State Administrative Agencies, and waterway decisions are issued by Traficom (incl. decisions on the deployment of waterways referred to in the Water Act)