Hailuoto ferry service to end early as fixed link opens

The ferry route between Hailuoto and Oulu will close at the end of June, a month earlier than expected, after Finland’s Transport Agency announced the island’s new fixed road link will open ahead of schedule.

Väylävirasto confirmed on Tuesday that the 8.4 km connection—comprising two bridges and a 6.9 km causeway—will be ready for traffic by the end of the month, replacing the ferry service entirely. No parallel ferry operations or nostalgia trips will run once the road opens.

The accelerated timeline caught ferry operator Suomen Lauttaliikenne off guard, forcing it to terminate service contracts for cleaning, waste management, and water transport. The company’s safety and traffic director, Pasi Roos, said all agreements tied to the Hailuoto route are being cancelled immediately.

Pasi Kortesuo, the ferry terminal chief in Hailuoto, said the news came as a surprise. Staff had prepared for operations to continue until at least late July. The route’s two ferries, Merisilta (1988) and Meriluoto (1996), will be moved to Turku for storage, their masts adjusted to clear bridges en route. Both vessels remain in good condition and may be redeployed elsewhere.

Of the 20 seasonal workers on the route—16 permanent and four temporary—nearly all have been reassigned within the company. Kortesuo, who has worked the Hailuoto ferry for a decade, will relocate to a new job in Kotka, turning his commute into a 940 km round trip.

Despite the impending closure, passenger numbers have not surged. Kortesuo noted some regulars, like a woman from Tampere, called to confirm they could still make a final crossing on 27 June. For her, the ferry trip had long marked the start of her holiday.