Unclear ownership stalls fate of Pyhtää motorway cafes

Two disused cafes beside the E18 motorway in Pyhtää could be demolished, but their ownership must first be clarified, Yle reports. The 15-year contract for the Koskenkylä–Kotka highway ends on September 29, leaving the buildings’ future unresolved.

The cafes, called Cafe Finlandia, have been closed for years. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency considers the buildings unnecessary and has looked into demolition costs, but no decision has been made.

Under the original agreement, the buildings were to pass to the state free of charge when the contract ended. Agency project manager Mauri Mäkiaho said that transfer depends on the road company having the right to hand them over. The agency does not have full information about the contracts between the road company and the cafe operator.

The cafes were built when the motorway opened in 2014. The road company was required to provide services for motorists, including rest-area toilets and cafes. The cafes later became unprofitable as other service stations opened in the Pyhtää area, and both have stood empty for several years.

The land around the buildings belongs to the state, but it is part of the road’s traffic area rather than a separate plot or property. The agency says the ownership review could take months or, in the worst case, years. No immediate action is planned while it continues.

When the highway contract ends, responsibility for its care and maintenance will pass to the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, regional vitality centres and Fintraffic Road Ltd. The agency said the change will not bring immediate changes for motorists.