Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2015 | Page 25

Photo: ALA Architects Kaitaa, Soukka, Espoonlahti and Kivenlahti. The price tag for the project is around EUR 800 million. Also, Jukka Mäkelä, Mayor of Espoo, has applauded the government’s summertime decision - and vision. The extra stretch makes it viable for Espoo to pursue a more compact community structure that is based on rails. Mäkelä added that, for example, Espoonlahti is already a city centre of 55,000 residents and would benefit from better connectivity: there is no cause to delay with the metro project. In November 2014, construction began with the excavation of work tunnels for Finnoo Station and the Sammalvuori train depot. At the same time work began in Kivenlahti and Espoonlahti, and in December in Soukka and Kaitaa. The entire line from Matinkylä to Kivenlahti will be completed in 2020 at the earliest. The original, Ruoholahti-Matinkylä stretch of the line will be completed in late 2015 and open for traffic in the autumn of 2016. Mastering the Metro elections are coming in early 2015 and no one can say what new political winds will be blowing then. “The time to make the decision was now. Since we got the green light, we will make sure that this project will be a true success,” says Kokkinen. Western Horizons The “extension to the extension” will mean adding a stretch of seven kilometres to the line, reaching almost to the municipal border. Along the way, five new metro stations will be realised – from east to west: Finnoo, According to Matti Kokkinen, the Ruoholahti-Matinkylä stretch is in fine form and the metro stations are being built. It is also apparent that the metro-building organisation has learned a thing or two along the way. Kokkinen and his team are looking to put all that knowledge to use good in making the “bonus stretch”. “We have most of our builders returning to work on the continuation line onwards from Matinkylä,” Kokkinen says, adding that the market was “hungry” for this type of a project. The work starts with the excavation of six work tunnels that will keep the work crews busy for a year. “After that, it will take 2.5 to 3 years to build the actual tunnels. The secret that allows us to stick to the schedule is starting work on the metro stations as soon as we’re able to,” Kokkinen reveals. At present, the metro builders expect no problems from the earth itself: the ground to be excavated consists of the very same hard stone which is typical to the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The metro will run in a tunnel from beginning to end, featuring two parallel tunnels with connecting tunnels, which have safety locks at 150–170 meter intervals. The connecting tunnels act as maintenance and rescue connections. Safety First The tunnel sections between the stations have vertical shafts, which have pressure equalising/smoke vent shafts and emergency exit stairways to ground level at 600–700 meters intervals minimum. An access driveway tunnel will be built for every station. These tunnels will provide a connection to metro tunnels during construction time and operational years. The safety arrangements and fire technical planning for the metro tunnel is conducted in accordance to fire technical planning instructions drafted for planning of the West Metro. The instructions have already been accepted by the building regulation/ rescue authorities. Kokkinen and Lo խ