Construction | A bridge is being planned over Baana in the inner city of Helsinki

Helsinki A bridge is being planned over the bike path Baana. Helsinki informs about this in its press release.

The city of Helsinki is planning reforms to the pedestrian and cycling arrangements at the west end of Lastenkodinkatu and at the south end of Mechelininkatu and Baana. The renovations will improve access to the former Maria hospital area, where a new growth company campus is being planned. The reforms are based on the traffic plan drawn up in connection with the site plan of the area.

It is planned to build a bridge over Baana to the Maria hospital area from the west end of the children’s home street, and a ramp to Baana from the end of the bridge on the Maria side. The bridge is intended for pedestrians, bicyclists and emergency vehicles. According to the street plan proposal, the parking spaces at the western end of Lastenkodinkatu will be removed and the area will be turned into a square. The construction of the bridge is expected to start at the end of 2023.

New the bridge leads to Marianpuisto, which is planned to be built in the middle of the future growth company campus. In Marianpuisto, trees that have been saved from the culturally and historically important garden of the Marian hospital area are preserved, and the park’s plantings are made with a preference for old plant species.

The park is currently occupied by an asphalt-surfaced yard and a residential building completed in the 1980s, which is being demolished. Access from Mechelininkatu to Baana will also be opened through Marianpuisto via new stairs and a ramp.

Due to the new buildings planned for the Maria area, it is necessary to reorganize the southern end of Baana. According to the plan, the cycle path between Ruoholahdenkatu and Lapinlahdenkatu will be moved to the other side of the railway ditch. Cycling and walking will remain separated. The bike path is mainly implemented with a width of 3.5 meters.

Baana’s basketball court will be moved to the south, closer to the end of Ruoholahdenkatu. The current petanque court is to be removed, and it will be replaced by a planting area. In total, three new planting areas and 13 new trees are planned for the area. The current planting areas with benches and wooden surfaces will be preserved and renovated. The part of the Love Helsinki artwork on Baana will be moved a few meters to the north.

Also At the southern end of Mechelininkatu, between Länsilink and Mechelininaukio, improvements to pedestrian and cycling arrangements are planned.

One-way bike lanes will be built on both sides of the southern end of Mechelininkatu, and the narrow sidewalk on the eastern edge of the street will be widened. At intersections, pedestrian crossings and crossing arrangements for bicycle traffic will be updated.

The schedule for the renovations of Baana and Mechelininkatu will be coordinated with the rest of the construction in the area and will be specified later.

For the former A new startup and technology company concentration is being planned for the Maria hospital area in connection with the current Maria 01. Accommodation, restaurants, business premises and event space are planned for the new block.

The area has been reserved for the consortium formed by YIT and Keva for the planning of the project. The actual construction of the building is scheduled to begin in 2024.

The street plan proposal for the bridge crossing Baana and its surroundings can be viewed on the website of the city of Helsinki.