Turku allocates €26.6 million for archaeological excavations ahead of tram construction

Archaeological investigations in Turku’s historic city centre, set to begin next spring, will receive €26.6 million in funding—an exceptionally large budget for such work, public broadcaster Yle reports. The excavations, linked to the city’s planned tram network, will employ up to 100 specialists and span from 2027 to 2030, with conservation of findings extending for several years beyond that.

Turku Tramway Ltd launched the tendering process for the archaeological surveys immediately after the city council’s investment decision last week. Contracts are expected to be signed by autumn 2026, with the three-year excavation phase commencing in spring 2027. Construction of the tram line itself is scheduled to start in 2028 on sections not requiring archaeological work.

Juha Saarikoski, the company’s CEO, described the timeline as critical for the project’s progress. “Now that we have the council’s decision, we need to mobilise all necessary resources quickly,” he told Yle. The bulk of the €26.6 million budget will fund the long-term conservation of unearthed artefacts.

Excavations will initially focus on Uudenmaankatu street near Turku Cathedral, where a state-funded public transport corridor is planned. Later phases will expand to Hämeenkatu, Kaivokatu, and areas near the Aura River, including the Eerikinkatu and Brahenkatu intersection—pending confirmation of further state funding. The total estimated cost of Turku’s tram project stands at €465.2 million.

Saarikoski expressed confidence that additional state support, likely delayed until the next government term, would materialise. “It’s more or less a given that the funding will come,” he said.

Preliminary digs conducted last spring on Uudenmaankatu uncovered remnants of a 16th–17th century residential courtyard, including the foundations of a house belonging to a court assessor. While Saarikoski is not an archaeologist, he anticipates discoveries spanning back to the late 13th century. “The test excavation was just a surface scratch to plan the full survey and secure permits,” he noted. “Its purpose wasn’t comprehensive research but to assess the smallest viable area at sufficient depth.”

The tram alliance is now dividing the excavation zones into smaller sections based on historic city blocks, using old property maps as a guide. Minna Tontti, head of environmental and sustainability planning, said the approach aims to accommodate multiple archaeological teams. “The tender process will engage several operators, and their expertise will determine where they focus within the project’s scope,” she explained.

To protect historic structures, construction methods will adapt where necessary—optin for slab foundations instead of piling in sensitive areas. While no finds significant enough to halt tram construction are expected, Saarikoski acknowledged that weekly or monthly adjustments to schedules may occur. Some excavation sites could progress faster or slower than anticipated.

Archaeologists will also monitor tram construction outside the primary dig zones. “For Turku’s history, these surveys are enormously significant,” Tontti said. “We’re working in an area where we can gather a tremendous amount of new research material.”