Helsinki builds separate cycleway at Töölönlahti

Helsinki will begin a major renovation of Hesperianpuisto park in the coming days, moving cyclists onto a new route and reserving the shoreline path at Töölönlahti for pedestrians. Yle reports that the work will bring years of detours to the area.

The renovation is needed because the park is in poor condition and erosion has damaged the shoreline, project manager Jere Saarikko said. Erosion has caused collapses in the shoreline embankment and cracks in the asphalt.

The new cycleway will run five to 10 metres farther from the shore and meet the standards of Helsinki’s Baana cycleway network. It will follow the route of a historic railway that once led to the Töölö Sugar Factory. The railway was removed after the factory was demolished in the 1960s.

Saarikko said the change is intended to separate cyclists from walkers, runners and others using the popular waterfront. The existing route is one of Helsinki’s busiest cycleways, he said, and is narrow for the level of use.

The first phase of construction will run until the end of 2027, covering the shoreline between the underpass at Helsinginkatu and the railway in the east and Finlandia Hall in the west. From 2028, a second phase will renovate the rest of Hesperianpuisto and part of Hakasalmenpuisto park.

During construction, cyclists will be diverted to Mannerheimintie alongside Hesperianpuisto. At the northern end of Töölönlahti, pedestrians and cyclists will be directed beside Helsinginkatu until the end of 2026. Some details of the traffic arrangements have yet to be finalised.

The project follows several years of major roadworks around Töölönlahti. Renovations of Mannerheimintie and Finlandia Hall have been completed, while work continues at Karamzininranta and on flood protection at Töölönlahti.