Transport Administration and EDF to blow up Halinga railway overpass on April 1
On April 1, the Transport Administration, in cooperation with the Defense Forces, will demolish the old Halinga railway viaduct on the Tallinn–Pärnu–Ikla highway, as it stands in the way of the road's expansion.
The railway viaduct will be demolished late on April 1 at 11 p.m., with the highway closed to traffic from 10 p.m. and reopening at 6 a.m. the following morning. During this time, traffic will be redirected via local roads.
The purpose of demolishing the viaduct is to speed up dismantling work, improve safety during the process and reduce disruption to traffic. It will also give the Defense Forces an opportunity to further develop their knowledge and refine skills related to conducting delay operations at viaducts as tactical strongpoints, including the creation of such obstacles for military defense purposes.
In addition, demolition by blasting will help shorten the duration of the dismantling work, reduce the length of time noise is generated and minimize the overall disturbance to the public.
"The old railway viaduct had long been ownerless property and, due to both its location and structure, stands in the way of the new road being built as part of the Tallinn–Pärnu highway expansion," explained Olari Valter, a bridge management expert at the Transport Administration.
Capt. Urmas Tonto of the 1st Infantry Brigade's engineer battalion, who is overseeing the blasting work, noted that the demolition of the Halinga site is made more complicated, but also more interesting, by the lack of documentation related to its construction, as well as certain operational constraints due to nearby private homes.
In addition to the engineer battalion, specialists in engineering from the Scouts Battalion and the Estonian Defense League are also involved in preparing the blasting operation at the Halinga railway viaduct.
The demolition and cleanup of the old railway viaduct will be carried out by KMG OÜ and Infragreen OÜ.
The demolition of the railway viaduct is part of the construction of the 2+2 lane Halinga–Kangru section (km 103.5–108.5) of the Tallinn–Pärnu–Ikla highway. The total cost of the work is €25.5 million, excluding VAT, with 85 percent co-financed by the European Union.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Marcus Turovski
