Tallinn's Kristiine pedestrian tunnel construction halts indefinitely
The construction of planned pedestrian tunnels in Kristiine, Tallinn, has halted indefinitely after Minister of Regional Affairs Hendrik Johannes Terras prohibited the temporary suspension of local railway traffic.
The city of Tallinn wanted to temporarily sever the railway to make the tunnel construction faster and cheaper, Eesti Ekspress reports. However, Terras banned halting the trains, according to the newspaper.
This decision sparked a conflict between the city, railway companies and the construction firm, which are now debating the feasibility of the project and who is responsible. Because the cheaper excavation method is prohibited and the original push-through technology has proven problematic, abandoning the work threatens to result in lengthy court battles.
Pedestrians and cyclists will therefore have to continue dealing with narrow and dangerous traffic conditions, while the use of European Union grant funds has also been called into question.
--
Editor: Argo Ideon
Source: Eesti Ekspress
