Helsinki bridge smooths out cycling bumps after repairs

Repairs to Helsinki’s Kruunuvuorensilta bridge have made cycling across its expansion joints smoother, cyclists told Yle after the work was completed.

The repairs were carried out overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday to reduce unevenness on the bridge. The Kruunusillat project had acknowledged in the spring that the expansion joints had been built incorrectly, leaving three centimetre deep troughs at both ends of the bridge.

The joints were modified by removing the counter bevel and replacing the metal plate with one featuring a lower bevel. The height of the threshold remains 30 millimetres, but the transitions are now considerably gentler in both directions. The new metal plate has also been roughened to reduce slipperiness.

“It should be better, but I still cannot promise perfection,” said Markus Malmivuori, project manager at construction company YIT.

Cyclists give the bridge top marks

Yle spoke to cyclists on Thursday morning to hear their views on the changes. The cyclists interviewed were largely satisfied, with half giving Kruunuvuorensilta a full score of 10.

Tomi Kivenjuuri, who cycles year-round, said he had not previously found the expansion joint particularly problematic. He said that small uneven sections could be crossed smoothly by flexing slightly.

Arif Hamidulla initially did not believe the bridge had been improved. He became convinced after crossing the second expansion joint downhill and noticing that his bicycle passed over it more smoothly than before.

Almost every cyclist interviewed by Yle knew to expect the changes. Many Helsinki residents have closely followed the bridge’s planning, construction and developments since it opened.

Antti Lehmuskoski described the remaining problems as normal finishing work on a construction project. He was also pleased with the repairs and praised the communication about the changes.

Mountain biker Ari Tikka had previously slowed down at the expansion joint because his bicycle chain tended to come off the gears. He said he could now cross it at a slightly higher speed.

Impact of the bump was underestimated

Anne Lassas estimated that the jolt from the expansion joint had been reduced to about one seventh of its previous level. She said she was surprised that the designers had not anticipated the impact of the original three centimetre drop.

“The drop was really severe. Now I am happy that it has been fixed and is considerably better,” Lassas said.

Martin Linnankoski said he was positively surprised that a solution to the design error had been found relatively quickly. He crossed the bridge on a long-fronted cargo bike with a child on board and said the crossing went well once he realised he did not need to do anything downhill and only had to slightly lift the front of the bike uphill.

He said even a cargo bike with smaller wheels could now cross the joint without concern.

Snow clearing requires extra care

The repaired sections will require maintenance crews to work with slightly greater precision, particularly when clearing snow. Warning signs at the expansion joints also alert maintenance equipment operators.

Kruunusillat has quickly become a very popular route. According to counters operated by the City of Helsinki, more than half a million people had crossed the bridge since it opened in April 2026.

Many cyclists were disappointed by the uneven sections when Kruunuvuorensilta opened in April and considered them dangerous.