Delayed Tallinn roadworks prolong traffic disruption

Several road projects in Tallinn are taking longer than expected, extending traffic disruption, ERR reports. Some work is expected to continue until mid-November, and the city says it will improve scheduling next year.

Asphalting on Liivalaia Street was initially due to finish on October 18, while construction on Kreutzwaldi Street was scheduled to end on October 16. Both projects have been delayed. Work on Peterburi Road is nearing completion but has also caused traffic delays.

Residents said the congestion was costing them time. Merle said a queue of traffic turning towards Ülemiste City blocked an entire intersection and cost her about 20 minutes a day. Artur said he was stuck in traffic for at least an hour.

Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan attributed the delays to unexpected circumstances. A gas leak was discovered during work on Liivalaia Street, pushing back the asphalting. He said the work would start the following Monday, with the aim of completing the project in the first weeks of November. The Kreutzwaldi Street project is expected to finish by the end of October.

Järvan said work on Peterburi Road was on schedule and that repairs to the Vao road section were planned for next year.

Tanel Jairus, a mobility engineer at TalTech, said roadwork schedules were difficult to predict because contractors could not know what they would find underground. Weather also affects when materials can be installed, he said, adding that rain and cold could reduce the quality of the work. Jairus said major changes to how projects are organised could make matters worse, while gradual improvements to the current system were beneficial.

Järvan acknowledged that repairs began only in late summer because procurement started too late. He said the city aimed to complete procurement this year and sign contracts early next year, allowing roadworks to begin in spring when the weather is warm enough.