Tallinn Mayor Peeter Raudsepp (Isamaa) said on social media this week that roadworks must not bring traffic in Tallinn to a standstill and that he had agreed with the city's deputy mayors on steps to prevent this.

"What is happening leaves much to be desired. I have several questions myself and I am hearing them increasingly often from residents as well. One thing is clear: At the start of fall, traffic gets heavier and faster, while roadworks force people to take detours and make them late. For example, work at the Hipodroomi intersection will continue for quite some time, repairs on Sõle tänav have only just begun and work on Liivalaia tänav will start next week. And it makes no difference whether you travel by bus, car or bicycle. Changes are needed," Raudsepp wrote.

Other major streets are also undergoing repairs, with work underway on Peterburi tee and Lauteri tänav in the Kesklinn district, for example. However, the mayor's call does not mean that work planned for this fall will be postponed, Järvan said.

"There is no such plan. Naturally, the city would like to repair even more roads and streets than we are currently able to. But as for these measures [to reduce traffic disruption] — and we are not talking about street reconstruction here, but road surface repairs — the idea is for them to be carried out primarily at night and outside peak hours, so that traffic can flow without obstruction when traffic volumes are at their highest," Järvan said.

This week, Tallinn announced that road surface repairs will also begin next week on Liivalaia tänav, one of Kesklinn's main thoroughfares, and will last two months. The plan is to shift the work there to nighttime hours, Järvan said, although as of this week, the contractor had not yet been issued a permit for nighttime work.

"It is standard practice for the Transport Department to issue nighttime work permits for such important arterial roads. Road surface repairs and other work on arterial roads are prohibited during peak hours and temporary traffic management measures cannot be in place during that time. This is one of the main measures for ensuring that traffic disruption caused by road surface repairs, at least, is kept to a minimum," Järvan said.

However, this means that noisier work, such as asphalt milling, will also take place at night and could disturb local residents. According to Järvan, the compromise is necessary.

"The people who live nearby versus the citywide continuity of infrastructure and keeping the city functioning during peak hours — these are always factors that have to be weighed. But the general practice has been to grant construction companies nighttime work permits on arterial roads with such heavy traffic volumes. As things stand today, to my knowledge, the contractor has not yet been issued a nighttime work permit, but the usual practice is for one to be issued, which means less disruption to traffic," Järvan said.

Moving some road repairs to nighttime hours, however, does not mean that roadworks will not affect traffic this fall.

"There will certainly be traffic disruptions, but at the same time, we want our streets to be in good condition. Liivalaia tänav has been waiting for repairs for years, while Pärnu maantee is due to undergo reconstruction in the coming years. It would certainly not make sense to work on a street intersecting with such a major arterial road as Liivalaia tänav at the same time. Unfortunately, the Pärnu maantee end of Liivalaia tänav is already in such a condition that even its base layers need repairs, but unfortunately, we will not be able to do that within the timeframe we are currently working with," Järvan said.

The fact that the road surface on Liivalaia tänav between Juhkentali tänav and Pärnu maantee is now being replaced means that Liivalaia tänav will not undergo a full reconstruction in the next few years, the deputy mayor acknowledged.

"Since Pärnu maantee is due to undergo reconstruction and must be completed by 2029, Liivalaia tänav certainly cannot be reconstructed at the same time," Järvan said.

Ripping up concrete on Peterburi tee still not decided

One of the largest reconstruction projects currently underway in the capital is on the section of Peterburi tee closest to Kesklinn. According to Järvan, the section should be completed by the end of October, although it is not yet possible to say so with complete certainty. The city is currently analyzing how to proceed with the reconstruction of Peterburi tee, as the bulk of the work still lies ahead

Much of the current deliberation centers on whether to remove the concrete base, which has served road users for decades but has now turned into what Järvan described as a "roller coaster." Removing the concrete would mean significantly more work and higher costs, the deputy mayor noted.

There is not much time left to make a decision, however, as work on the next section is scheduled to begin next year.

"If our plans work out and we can go with the lighter option — removing the top layer and repairing the concrete slabs — then we would still like to start next year. But if it does require — and the analyses show that it does require — more extensive reconstruction, then that is something we still need to consider," the deputy mayor said.

According to Järvan, the city also needs to address the longstanding problem of roadworks piling up in the fall, when traffic is significantly heavier than in the summer.

"The reason is that in the past, including last year, contracts and procurements for work to be carried out that same year were not completed in time. That means the procurement process does not begin until spring, contracts are not signed until summer and roadworks only begin after that. This year, we have arranged things so that procurements and contracts will be completed within the current year," he said.

"That means that next year, as soon as the weather permits in spring or early summer, roadworks can get underway. This will spread roadworks out more over the year, which means fewer traffic problems and allows the work to take place primarily in the summer," the deputy mayor added.

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