An agreement was signed on Monday, April 6, between the Port of Tallinn and KMG Inseneriehituse AS for the design and construction of a new pedestrian bridge in the Old City Harbour. The bridge will connect Terminals A and D and will open to ensure the operation of the Old City Marina, Port of Tallinn says in a press release.
According to Port of Tallinn’s Chief Infrastructure Officer Peeter Nõgu the aim of the bridge is to make the movement between the two terminals and nearby areas more convenient for pedestrians. „Another goal is to create an attractive architectural object in the harbour area in the form of a bridge to add value to the surrounding urban space and give people a reason to come and walk in the Old City Harbour area.“
Indrek Pappel, the Member of the Management Board of KMG Inseneriehituse AS said the project to be structurally certainly a very complex and challenging one. “The bridge to be built in the Old City Harbour has a unique solution in Estonia, as it is a swing bridge. We believe that when completed, it will become a spectacular and landmark-worthy facility. We also acknowledge Port of Tallinn for actively investing in infrastructure, because in the current difficult situation every order stimulates the economy and helps to successfully overcome the crisis. ”
The contract includes the design and construction of the bridge and the performance of maintenance work during the warranty period.
Design work will start immediately and will take 16 months and be completed in August 2021. The total cost will be €4.22 million, plus VAT.
The basis of the bridge’s design is the winning work “New Balance 100” which won a competition organized by Port of Tallinn in 2017. The author of the winning work was the architectural firm Plein06 and SIA Witteveen + Bos Latvia.
The bridge is part of the Old City Harbour redevelopment plan “Masterplan 2030+”, which aims to make the entrances to Estonia and Tallinn more user-friendly and the entire port area more attractive.
The construction of the bridge is co-financed by the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) project TWIN-PORT 2, which is cooperation project between Port of Tallinn, Port of Helsinki, and ferry operator Tallink and which aim is to develop the Tallinn-Helsinki maritime route.