27.02.2026
Rail Baltic Estonia has organized a tender for the construction of the first stage of the Kantsi Road Tunnel in the Ülemiste area – work that will involve building a concrete structure under the future high-speed railway route, which will later enable the construction of an underground railway connection in the direction of Ülemiste City. The Kantsi Tunnel will create an additional connection between Lasnamäe and Ülemiste for pedestrians, light traffic, cars and public transport, and the completed passage will be built in the location where the pedestrian bridge over the railway in the direction of Kantsi Street currently stands.
“Constructing the Kantsi tunnel opening together with the Rail Baltica foundation construction is the most technically and economically sensible solution,” said Martin Kaljumäe, Chief Project Manager for Passenger and Service Facilities at Rail Baltic Estonia. “By the end of next year, Rail Baltic Estonia will construct the concrete body of the tunnel, or opening, into the railway embankment. The tunnel itself will be constructed later by the City of Tallinn.”
Currently, the Ülemiste district is essentially connected to the rest of Tallinn only by the Tartu highway crossing. The next possibility to cross the railway is located about 3,5 kilometers away on Smuuli road. At the same time, about 15,000 people already work in the Ülemiste area and the Ülemiste settlement is currently the fastest developing area in Tallinn, which will become the new heart of Tallinn in the coming years.
With the Rail Baltica Ülemiste Linda terminal, which will be completed in 2028, the region will gain a building connecting the previously missing transport hub, where it will be convenient to move on to the next destination, whether it is in the center of Tallinn, in a county, or even in a foreign country.
In the next decade, nearly 15 million people will pass through the Ülemiste area, taking into account air and Rail Baltica passengers and other mobility forecasts. It is important that the urban space as a whole is developed taking this load into account.
The city has previously planned a total of seven railway tunnels in the Ülemiste area, but the Kantsi Street tunnel is a priority because its construction in parallel with the Rail Baltica foundation construction will most effectively improve the accessibility of the area and reduce later costs.
The tunnel will be completed in cooperation with Mainor Ülemiste AS and the City of Tallinn. Rail Baltic Estonia plans to sign the construction contract in the spring, work will begin immediately after the contract is signed, and the entire construction must be completed by October 31, 2027 at the latest. The estimated cost of the procurement is approximately 8 million euros.
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