The Crown Bridges are building the future of Helsinki – check out the new bridges

Helsinki and the entire Helsinki metropolitan area are growing rapidly. Helsinki is predicted to grow into a city with 870,000 inhabitants by 2060. In June 2022, the number of Helsinki residents was 658,864. Helsinki responds to the challenge by promoting sustainable modes of transport, i.e. walking, cycling and public transport.

In addition to the tramway, the Crown Bridges project will build five new bridges. For example the old Hakaniemensilta bridge is in poor condition and its replacement is necessary, even though the tramway will not run on the bridge.

The effects of the Crown Bridges project

• It will shorten the 11 kilometres distance from Kruunuvuorenranta via Itäväylä to the railway station to 5 kilometres. The distance will be 50% shorter.
• It will take 15 minutes by tram from Kruunuvuorenranta to the Helsinki Central railway station, 20 minutes from the centre of Yliskylä. The distance from Yliskylä by public transport will shorten by 10 min
• It will more than halve cyclists' travel time. In the future, you can cycle from Kruunuvuorenranta to the city centre in 20
• It is estimated that approximately 37,000 passengers a day will use the tramway connection in 2040.
• The average number of cyclists and pedestrians on the Kruunuvuori Bridge is estimated to be around 3,000 per day.
• With the Crown Bridges connection, the number of tram users is forecast to increase by 7–9 million passengers per year.

Explore the new bridges in Helsinki

Hakaniemensilta bridge

• Architectonic 230-metre-long composite girder bridge with a concrete deck.
• Clearance for boats 7 metres.
• Longest opening 5 metres.
• On the main deck there are 2+2 lanes in both directions.
• Different multi-level pavements and cycle lanes on both sides.
• The bridge has a pile foundation.
• Bridge support 1: abutment founded on bored piles.
• Bridge support 2: founded on 1000 mm impact piles with a final driving force of 20MN.
• Bridge support 3-4: founded on 800 mm bored piles and 323 mm anchored bored piles.
• Bridge support 5: works as power supply stations for the tramway. It is founded on 220 mm impact piles.
• Estimated completion 2024.

Näkinsilta bridge

• Continuous prestressed cantilever girder bridge.
• 176 metres long, clearance for traffic 5.4 metres.
• Longest span 35.5 metres.
• Light traffic bridge.
• Special feature: Abutment 1. It houses a waste water pumping station, through which a significant part of the city's waste water flows.
• Estimated completion in spring 2023.

Merihaansilta bridge

• Reinforced continuous slab bridge.
• The structure is pier-like.
• The bridge deck is 4 metres above the sea level at its lowest point and 4.9 metres above the sea level at its highest point.
• Length 412 meters, longest span 5 meters.
• Clearance 5 metres.
• A special feature is the Nihti end of the bridge with a lifting steel structure part.

In Hakaniemi and Siltavuorenranta

• Approximately 10,000 m2 of pile plates, which means 70 kilometres of 170 mm

Finkensilta bridge

• A so-called continuous prestressed concrete girder bridge.
• The bridge has 6 intermediate supports or pillars.
• The 293-metre-long bridge connects Sompasaari and Korkeasaari and enables tram and pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
• The width of the bridge is 18
• Clearance is 9 metres.
• The clearance width of the bridge opening is 20 m and the minimum width of the fairway is 20 m according to the design guidelines.
• Estimated completion 2025.

Check how Finkensilta is being built - live cam

Kruunuvuori Bridge

• A cable-stayed girder bridge with a composite structure and concrete deck.
• The longest bridge in Finland with a length of approximately 1.2 km.
• The 520-metre main span of the bridge was founded on a 135-metre high pylon, i.e. a supporting pillar and cables.
• The bridge’s service life is 200 years.
• The longest span is 260 metres.
• The bridge has two abutments and 11 intermediate supports.
• In the middle of the bridge, there is a 135 metre high pylon or supporting pillar.
• There are 17 pairs of diagonal ropes on either side of the pylon.
• The length of the ropes varies from 90 metres to 257 metres.
• Special feature: The steel beams of the bridge structure are welded together on the construction site as a single entity and gradually jacked on top of the intermediate supports. The steel beams are pulled forward by a hydraulic jack with the help of the cables. The impact length of the jack is 500 mm.
• Estimated completion 2025.

Check how Kruunuvuori Bridge is being built - live cam

YIT's bridge-builders are developing infrastructure and creating the future of the capital area

Crown Bridges Alliance, Helsinki | References | YIT.fi