Kruunuvuorensilta bridge in Helsinki to undergo summer maintenance with multiple closures
Finland’s longest bridge, the Kruunuvuorensilta, will be closed several times in July and August for essential maintenance work. The 1,200-metre structure, which opened to pedestrians and cyclists in late April, will undergo post-casting, load tests, and repairs to its expansion joints.
The first closure began on 2 July at 16:00 and continued until 6:00 the following morning. Ilta-Sanomat (IS) reports that fully loaded trucks were used during this period to conduct load tests, assessing the bridge’s structural integrity. Additional closures are scheduled for 21–22 July (21:00–06:00), 8 August (08:00–20:00), and 25–26 August (21:00–06:00).
A key focus of the maintenance is the repair of the bridge’s expansion joints, which have drawn criticism from cyclists. Iltalehti notes that the deep seams in the cycle path previously caused a cycling accident in April. The repairs are expected to address these safety concerns.
The maintenance work was planned in advance, with officials stating that the timing was delayed to avoid disrupting the nesting period of archipelago birds in the area. Iltalehti quotes the bridge’s website, which explains that the work could only proceed after this protected period ended. The bridge is set to open for tram traffic at the beginning of next year.
