Project plan of Junatie metro bridge proceeds to decision-making
Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd. has been commissioned by the Helsinki City Transport to replace the Junatie metro bridge between Kalasatama and Sörnäinen between 2026 and 2028. Reduction of nuisance during construction is the guiding principle of the bridge project’s planning and implementation.The preparation works will start in April-May 2026.
A key objective is that the construction of the Junatie metro bridge should cause as little nuisance as possible to the passengers and the traffic, people and businesses in the area. The metro bridge construction will be implemented in a way that ensures as short a suspension of metro service and as brief a closure of the Kalasatama metro station as possible.
The metro bridge will be designed for a long service life of at least 100 years. In connection to the bridge renovation, the track will also be made easier to maintain and the conditions for managing disruptions to service will be developed, improving the operability to Kalasatama in exceptional circumstances.
The project plans of the Junatie metro bridge renovation and the related preparatory works will proceed to be processed by the Helsinki City Transport’s board of directors on 5 March 2026. The project plan for the metro bridge’s renovation will be processed by the Helsinki City Council in April.
The maximum budget for the metro bridge renovation project is EUR 107 million, with an additional EUR 2 million reserved for the preparatory works.
Replacement of metro bridge to start with preparatory works
Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd. will start the preparatory works for the replacement of the metro bridge in April or May 2026. The project for replacing the bridge itself will proceed to the implementation stage after its project plan has been approved in June 2026.
The start of the works will lead to traffic disruptions in the area, more information on which will follow during the spring. The metro will be in service as normal during the preparatory works, and the Kalasatama metro station will remain open. Preparatory works enable scheduling the metro service suspension to the least busiest time in 2027. It will also allow scheduling the construction work to a season suitable for construction work. The preparatory works will include e.g. support structures for existing structures for the duration of the work, cable transfers, and temporary traffic arrangements needed for establishing the worksite.
Additionally, new intermediate supports and deck structures for the bridge will be built in 2026, as well as the temporary access routes of the emergency exits of Kalasatama metro station. The deck structures of the new bridge will be built in several sections, side by side with the current bridge. The current bridge will be demolished and the new bridge sections installed in place during the metro service suspension in 2027.
Reduction of nuisance as the guiding principle of planning and implementation
The bridge area is a demanding construction site, both in terms of traffic and construction technology. The traffic volumes in the area are high and the site is quite narrow. The eastern end of the bridge is inside the Kalasatama metro station and the Redi Shopping Centre. The new metro bridge will be partly built while the metro is in service, which requires special planning and cooperation between the different parties.
The 482-metre-long metro bridge curves horizontally in two different directions. It is the longest bridge on the metro track and is in the top-20 of the longest bridges in Finland.
Reduction of nuisance acts as the guiding principle of the planning and implementation. The project implementation will be coordinated with other City projects compromising mobility, which will take place in stages. The use of technology allowing for faster work will be ensured during planning, which will be done together with the contractor. We will invest in efficient traffic arrangements and replacement traffic for the duration of the worksite. Incentives related to shorter service suspension will be set up for the project. Up-to-date and proactive communications will be considered a priority.
Replacing the metro bridge is a necessity due to its poor condition. The bridge, built in the 1970s, has been reinforced and supported over the years. In 2025, the bridge was equipped with a monitoring system that monitors the bridge’s condition in real time. At the moment, the bridge is safe to use.
The project’s project management contractor is Kreate Oy.
Suspension of metro service due to construction in 2027
The suspension of metro service required by the metro bridge replacement will start in late spring 2027 and will take about seven months, based on current estimates. During the suspension, the metro will run from the west to Hakaniemi. From the east, the metro will run to Herttoniemi, which will serve as the transfer hub from metro to bus and vice versa.
The metro station at Kalasatama will be closed during the service break, as well as for about two months before and two months after the metro service suspension. The metros will pass by the station without stopping during these months.
Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd. will make extensive use of this suspension of metro service to renovate other metro infrastructure in addition to the Junatie metro bridge. The Sörnäinen and Kulosaari metro stations will be renovated during this time, as will the five other bridges in the affected area: Kulosaari metro bridge, Kulosaari pedestrian tunnel, Kulosaari station’s northern metro bridge, Tupasaarentie metro bridge and Naurissalmi metro bridge.
Helsinki Region Transport will offer replacement traffic services during the metro suspension.
Read more about the metro service disruption on the City Transport’s website