Helsinki politicians clash over plans to expand central service tunnel for through traffic

Helsinki’s political parties are divided over whether the city’s central service tunnel should allow paid through traffic to ease congestion, with some backing the move and others insisting it remain restricted to maintenance and parking access, Yle reports.

The debate follows revelations that drivers are already using the tunnel illegally to bypass the city center, despite prohibitions. Pressure has intensified as Kaivokatu—currently a key route near the central railway station—prepares to close to private vehicles under a new urban plan.

The center-right National Coalition Party, Helsinki’s largest council group, supports broader use of the tunnel, including improved access to underground parking. Group chair Matias Pajula told Yle the 2-kilometer tunnel should be “significantly more extensive” than its current form. While not opposing through traffic outright, Pajula emphasized that any toll system would need to justify expanded access.

The Green League backs development but rejects through traffic, citing safety and technical limitations. Group chair Amanda Pasanen argued the tunnel must prioritize service and parking traffic, with any extensions—such as a proposed link to Hakaniemi—funded privately. “Taxpayer money shouldn’t cover this,” she said. The Greens also warned that the tunnel’s design cannot safely accommodate high-speed through traffic.

The Social Democrats, who blocked a 2019 proposal for a separate central tunnel over cost concerns, now support service tunnel upgrades but stress affordability. Group chair Elisa Gebhard said the party wants a “pleasant” city center, with Kaivokatu’s pedestrianization and tunnel improvements working in tandem—provided costs remain “reasonable.”

The Finns Party, meanwhile, backs all tunnel expansions, framing them as necessary after what group chair Wille Rydman called the city’s “completely wrong decisions” to close surface roads. Referencing Kaivokatu’s closure, Rydman argued underground routes are now essential to maintain traffic flow. While the party has no formal stance on tolls, he suggested they could be considered if they enable through traffic. Rydman added that the project risks collapse due to what he described as the city’s history of “stupid decisions.”

The Left Alliance opposes through traffic entirely, with group chair Mia Haglund urging a focus on service and parking access. She warned against “invented demand” for underground through routes, arguing the tunnel’s dimensions rule out safe high-speed use. Like the Greens, the Left Alliance insists any new entrances must be privately funded, with tolls evaluated by investors, not the city.

A minor party, Liike Nyt, has separately proposed a toll-based through-traffic system, though its influence remains limited in the council.