Major roadworks are set to begin next year on the Tallinn–Pärnu–Ikla highway where several sections will be rebuilt as 2+2 lanes. Estonia's Transport Administration has signed construction contracts for six segments, with two additional sections currently in procurement.

Some projects are expected to be completed in 2027, while others will finish by the end of 2028.

In the first half of next year, Trev-2 Grupp will begin work on converting the Kurena–Nurme section into a 2+2 highway. The 4.5-kilometer stretch mostly follows the existing road alignment and will expand to the right in the direction of Pärnu. It will include the Nurme interchange, a pedestrian and cyclist underpass, one ecoduct and various smaller structures to ensure safe crossings for small animals and amphibians.

Construction is scheduled to start in early 2026 and take 30 months to complete. The project will cost €31 million, 85 percent of which will be covered by the European Union.

Also slated to begin in early 2026, weather permitting, is construction of the 2+2 bypass around Are. The seven-kilometer stretch mostly follows a new alignment and will run from the border of Kangru and Parisselja villages to just beyond the Vana-Tallinna road intersection toward Pärnu.

The project includes a pedestrian underpass, one interchange, two road junctions, two main road bridges and one bridge on a secondary road.

The construction tender was won by Tref Nord. Work will take 30 months and cost €36.5 million, 85 percent of which will come from the EU.

Work will also begin in early 2026 on expanding the Halinga–Kangru segment into a 2+2 highway. That project, also planned for 30 months, will upgrade a five-kilometer section along the existing route. It will start half a kilometer before the old railway viaduct and extend to the Kangru–Parisselja village border.

The project includes a tunnel for cars and pedestrians, a grade-separated local road junction, one bridge on the main road and an ecoduct. It will cost €25.5 million, 85 percent of which will be funded by the EU. The work will be carried out by KMG and Infragreen.

The Haimre–Konuvere section will also be upgraded to 2+2 lanes, covering 8.6 kilometers. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2026 and finish in fall 2027. The contractor is Verston.

The project includes the construction of a grade-separated Konuvere interchange connecting state, collector and access roads. Two car tunnels will be built to link settlements and destinations on either side of the main road. The existing Konuvere bridge over the Vigala River will be reconstructed for one direction of travel, with a new bridge added to the west for the opposite direction.

Additionally, the historic Konuvere stone bridge will be renovated and reopened for local traffic to reduce the movement of slow agricultural vehicles on the main road. Two wildlife crossings will be added to link forested areas on both sides of the highway.

The project will cost €37 million and is partly funded by the EU's Connecting Europe Facility under the Military Mobility program.

The Päädeva–Orgita section and Haimre interchange will also be rebuilt as 2+2 lanes, costing nearly €28 million in total. About five kilometers of new road will be constructed, along with two overpasses, a pedestrian tunnel, two wildlife crossings and a livestock crossing.

Work is set to begin early next year and finish in fall 2027. The contractor is Tariston and the project is also partly funded by the EU's Military Mobility program.

Reconstruction of the 3.4-kilometer Orgita–Haimre section into a 2+2 highway will begin in the spring of 2025 and conclude by the end of 2027. The project will cost €10 million and be carried out by Atemo and Tref.

Two sections still in procurement

In addition to the confirmed construction contracts, two more segments of the Tallinn–Pärnu–Ikla highway are currently in procurement: Konuvere–Päärdu and Libatse–Halinga. Bids for both are due in January 2025.

The Konuvere–Päärdu section will be 6.5 kilometers long, with an estimated cost of €42 million. The five-kilometer Libatse–Halinga section is currently priced at €28 million. Both will be upgraded to 2+2 lanes.

According to Tarmo Mõttus, head of the Transport Administration's road maintenance plan, work on the Konuvere–Päärdu section is expected to begin in early 2027. There is no exact timeline yet for Libatse–Halinga, but all projects are scheduled for completion by fall 2028.

All cost estimates are presented excluding VAT.

Some sections still without funding

The Transport Administration's long-term goal is to bring the Tallinn–Pärnu–Ikla highway up to the standards of the European Union's core road network. According to Tarmo Mõttus, the first priority is upgrading the Tallinn–Pärnu–Uulu section. This, in turn, consists of two parts: rebuilding existing 1+1 lane sections into 2+2 lanes and upgrading previously built 2+2 and 2+1 sections to meet current requirements.

At present, some of the planned reconstructions remain unfunded and other segments are still under consideration, though large-scale works are expected to move forward, Mõttus said.

Currently without funding are the 1+1 sections between Päärdu and Pärnu-Jaagupi (km 85–99) and between Kernu and Päädeva (km 42–62), which need to be completed by the end of 2030, he noted.

In the coming years, the Transport Administration will determine the extent of reconstruction needed for the 2+1 sections between Ääsmäe and Kernu (km 28–42) and between Nurme and Sauga (km 120–122), as well as the 2+2 section between Topi and Ääsmäe (km 15–28), Mõttus said.

Next in priority for the Transport Administration is planning the reconstruction of the Uulu–Ikla section. When and how the upgrades will take place remains uncertain.

"To arrive at a final solution, we'll launch a special national planning process in 2026, followed by design stages as needed. The road cross-section type will be determined during the planning process," said Mõttus.

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