Tallinn updates plans for Kristiine junction and Tulika Street

Tallinn plans to make the Kristiine junction easier for pedestrians, public transport and other road users to navigate, but will not build a pedestrian bridge there in the first phase, ERR reported. The city also plans to present a renovation design for Tulika Street next month, Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan said.

The junction is one of Tallinn’s most accident-prone. The city has been preparing its reconstruction for several years and can use European Union funding for the work until 2029. It plans to present a preliminary design for the junction in a couple of months.

The city has dropped proposals to turn the junction into a roundabout or reroute public transport along Madara Street. Instead, it wants to bring public transport stops together in the middle of the street to make transfers easier.

Although a pedestrian bridge is not planned for the initial phase, the design will provide for possible attachment points. Järvan said this could allow pedestrians to cross diagonally while heavy vehicles pass underneath.

The city is considering keeping Tulika Street’s existing 1+2 lane arrangement, with no change to the number of traffic lanes. An analysis found that this option would improve travel speeds and reduce the impact of accidents for all road users compared with a layout featuring a public transport-only lane and a 1+1 arrangement. The renovation would add greenery and cycle paths. Tulika Street runs from the Kristiine junction towards North Tallinn. Its reconstruction has been planned since 2018, when an initial design proposed removing a traffic lane.

Pedestrian and cycling tunnels at the Endla viaduct are also still planned. Järvan said the city had received a letter from rail operator Elron stating that construction plans for 2028 should be approved by the end of summer 2027. The city hopes to build the tunnels in summer 2028, after the song festival.