The Site Engineer orchestrates the project

When completed, Jokeri Light Rail will relieve crosstown traffic in the Helsinki metropolitan area and reduce traffic emissions. The extensive construction project is divided into sections. In section 3, Site Engineer Arttu Äikäs, 28, acts as the right-hand man of the Section Manager and orchestrates the project’s schedule and costs.

Arttu Äikäs, 28, has been enthusiastic about all kinds of construction since he was a little boy. Arttu’s career at YIT started as a summer trainee following his first year of studies at a university of applied sciences. Summers spent as a supervisor trainee taught him about systems and scheduling, and his time as a trainee in tendering calculation helped build insight into project finances.

Arttu has worked in the Jokeri Light Rail project since section 3 started in January 2019. He enjoys the challenges he gets to solve as a Site Engineer. The light railway connecting Itäkeskus in Helsinki and Keilaniemi in Espoo is being built in six sections. The entire project is due to be completed in 2024.

Arttu works in section 3 as the right-hand man of the Section Manager. The section covers a distance of seven kilometres from the border between Helsinki and Espoo to Tuusulanväylä, so there is plenty of work to do and a lot of responsibilities.

Doing construction work in the middle of the city and around busy roads means that there are a lot of stakeholders and road users to consider. Infrastructure construction gives Arttu the chance to look at things from the perspective of a builder and a road user.

The fact that Jokeri Light Rail is implemented in the form of an alliance project means that there are more people in the project office than in ordinary projects. The designers, contractor and builders are all in it together. The shared goals are achieved through open cooperation and dialogue.

While it’s true that no two days are the same when you’re a Site Engineer, Arttu does have a clear routine at work. He maintains close contact with the Section Manager. Arttu goes over the schedule in full once a week. The same goes for the costs. This way he is always aware of the progress of the project. A significant proportion of his working hours are spent in meetings with designers and site personnel to ensure that design schedules are aligned with the production schedule and the designs are ready when needed.

“The bigger the project, the more pride I feel about my involvement when I look back after the project is finished,” Arttu says.

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