Tallinn plans to rebuild Viru bus terminal
Tallinn City Government is planning to rebuild the bus terminal under the Viru Keskus shopping center, with a completion date of 2028.
Opened in 2004, the underground terminal does not belong to the city, but to the owners of Viru Keskus.
The changes would mean the terminal would no longer serve as the starting point of routes, but would instead become more of a through-traffic area. Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa) said earlier in the week. A restructuring of public transport routes in 2023 has already made the terminal a less busy hub than it had been.
Deputy Mayor for Transport Joel Jesse (Center) told ERR the city plans this year to develop a new concept and preliminary design solution for the bus terminal.
"That is, what the traffic arrangements would be, what the concept would be, which bus lines could operate there in the future – whether it is a starting point, an end point, through routes, whether there are also county lines. Work on this will begin this year," Jesse said.
The alterations would ideally be implemented by 2028, he added.
Jesse said the broader aim is for the terminal to be a place with good transfer options in all directions. For this reason the city is considering making both the Gonsiori tänav side to the south, where buses currently enter the terminal, and to the north the Narva mnt. side, where they exit, two-way, rather than the current one-way system.
This would make through routes run more smoothly, he added. This needs analyzing from a technical/construction viewpoint.
Jesse said he supports handing the work over to the private sector; Järvan had said Tallinn's transport department has no interest in or obligation to deal with leasing the retail spaces, including those serving refreshments, contained in the terminal, which could be handed over to private operators.
Routing county buses – companies like Sebe serving the whole of Harju County – would in any case require partial reconstruction of the terminal, for example the construction of a new access road, Järvan added.
The cost will become clearer once the analysis is done, both deputy mayors said.
The creation of public transport transfer hubs across the city has also long been part of Tallinn's plans, but before that the route network still needs some adjustment. Two stages had already been completed. Bus routes have been merged, some new ones created and route alignments changed. The third stage is nearing completion and will be presented this spring, Jesse added.
A study commissioned by the Tallinn Transport Department (TLT) and conducted by Turu-uuringute found most users satisfied with the terminal, though improvements recommended included those relating to cleanliness and hygiene, as well as adding lighting and heating in winter. Respondents also felt that the terminal could have a greater variety of shops and services, including food outlets.
The above-ground streets where the terminal is accessed from: Laikmaa, Gonsiori and Hobujaama, were extensively revamped 2023-2024.
A night bus service was also rolled out in recent years.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
