News

Graffiti art on the wall of the Espoonlahti worksite base

24.10.2016

The worksite fence around the Espoonlahti worksite base, facing Ulappakatu and Kivenlahdentie, will be decorated with graffiti art. The works have been planned by Länsimetro and Destia, the contractor in charge of the area. Graffiti will be painted by several artists over the autumn. Länsimetro and Destia hope it will liven up the orange fence, maintain it in better condition and prevent it from being defaced.

The work will begin in week 43.

Further information:

Worksite hotline Destia Oy, tel. +358 40 637 5377

Länsimetro feedback phone number (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00) +358 50 377 3700

Joint test run phase to continue

13.10.2016

The joint test runs to be conducted at all stations to ensure the safety of the operations of the metro were launched at the Aalto University station. Power failure tests went as planned, but fire tests revealed faults in the operation and control of equipment.
The aim of the joint test runs is to ensure that the metro is safe to use and that all of the 52 different systems work together. Although each system has been tested separately, the readiness of a station cannot be established until all the systems have been used simultaneously in emergency situations.
– “The results of the joint test run carried out at the Aalto University station show that the test phase will take longer than anticipated. We launched actions to repair the defects and faults detected in the tests immediately. New joint fire tests will be carried out as soon as the repair operations have been completed,” says Matti Kokkonen, CEO of Länsimetro.
The metro will not be ready to open in January 2017, as previously estimated. An opening schedule estimate requires that three stations have passed the joint test runs. The purpose of the joint test runs is to test the operations of all the different systems, such as building technology, safety automation, power supply monitoring, physical access control, fire-extinguishing systems, reserve power and smoke ventilation, in various emergencies. Emergencies include, for example, fire, power failure and data transmission equipment fault. The tests also aim to ensure that all the systems are restored to normal.
– “It is extremely unfortunate that the commissioning of the metro has been delayed from the previous estimates. However, we are about to complete the seven-year work. We are looking for solutions to keep the delay as short as possible without compromising the functioning and safety of the metro,” says Olli Isotalo, Chairman of the Board of Länsimetro Oy.
The rescue authorities of Helsinki and Espoo will approve the security systems based on the test results. After this, the building authorities of the cities are free to approve the use of the stations and rail tunnels. Helsinki City Transport (HKL) will ensure that the track engineering security systems, including semaphore systems and indicators, are working properly. Helsinki Region Transport (HSL) will decide when passenger traffic on the metro begins and when feeder bus lines start operating.

Further information:

Länsimetro Oy, CEO Matti Kokkinen, tel. +358 (0)50 347 1558
Olli Isotalo, Chairman of the Board of Länsimetro Oy, tel. +358 (0)50 593 3359

Crushing begins at the Hyljetie shaft

13.10.2016

SRV Infra will start crushing rock material at the address Hyljetie 1, next to Länsimetro’s Kaitaa worksite. The crushing will begin in week 39. Rudus Oy will be in charge of the crushing.

The work may be done in two parts, with an interval of 2 or 3 weeks, depending on the amount of rock. It is probable, however, that the work will continue without a break on weekdays for a period of 49 days.

The working hours at the crushing site are Monday to Friday, 7.00 to 18.00.

Water jets will be used to control dust, as they effectively bind dust generated in the crushing operation.

Further information:

SRV Infra Oy, Project Manager, Ville Järvinen, +358 (0)400 128 688
SRV Infra Oy, Supervisor, Jouni Uusipuro, +358 (0)440 330 658
SRV Infra Oy, Site Manager, Risto Hast, +358 (0)400 459 827

Dismantling of worksite base and restoration of site

13.10.2016

The remaining technical construction work at the Koivusaari site involves superstructure construction work at the worksite base and its vicinity. Cast-in-place work will be carried out at the entrance of the Vaskisalmenkuja access tunnel. In addition, the contract will involve re-routing the pedestrian and bicycle lanes leading to Hanasaarenranta.

The implementation of the pedestrian and bicycle lanes and the final water and sewer line works at the north/south end of Vaskisalmenkuja will start at the beginning of October. The work stages scheduled for weeks 40 to 43 will involve a lot of heavy traffic. The remaining work stages may cause temporary traffic arrangements.

The work by SRV Rakennus is scheduled to be completed by mid-November.

Further information:
SRV Rakennus Oy, 24 h hotline tel. +358 040 631 3868
Reima Liikamaa, Site Manager +358 040 842 8368
Länsimetro feedback phone number (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00) +358 50 377 3700

Construction of a shaft at Sammalvuori metro depot begins

30.9.2016

Construction of a shaft at the Sammalvuori metro depot will begin on Monday, 10 October 2016. The shaft area is located between Kivenlahdentie and Länsiväylä, close to the ABC service station. The work will start with installation of temporary fencing and with tree felling. Next, earth excavation will follow. Open excavation (levelling excavation) will be carried out at the turn of November and December. Open excavation will be announced by a warning signal. After the levelling excavation, pressure grouting and drilling will start.

Further information:

24-hour hotline for the site, Työyhteenliittymä Sammalvuori, tel. +358 (0)50 343 7233

Site Manager Juha Selin, juha.selin@kalliorakennus.com

Länsimetro feedback phone number (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00), tel. +358 46 377 3700

Construction of the Kauklahdenväylä shaft has commenced

30.9.2016

Construction of the Kauklahdenväylä shaft has commenced. The area is located at the end of the metro line. Earth excavation, pile driving, bracing of groove board walls and open excavation are currently ongoing on the shaft site.

Blasting for open excavation will begin within the next few weeks, and it will be announced by a series of signals.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the work.

Further information:

24-hour hotline for the site: +358 50 342 2461

Kalliorakennus-Yhtiöt Oy, Site Manager Meeri Kaartinen, meeri.kaartinen@kalliorakennus

Länsimetro feedback phone number (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00) +358 50 377 3700

Environmental restoration beginning at Koivusaari worksite base

16.9.2016

SRV Rakennus will be completing its work on the site by mid-November. What still remains to be done is the in-situ casting of the mouth of the access tunnel at Vaskisalmenkuja, and the routing and implementation of the pedestrian and bicycle paths leading to Hanasaarenranta.
Starting at the end of September, the base will be removed and the area restored to its original condition. The building site huts will be removed during the week beginning on 26 September 2016. The remaining work stages may cause temporary traffic arrangements.

Further information:
SRV Rakennus Oy, 24 h hotline tel. +358 40 631 3838
Reima Liikamaa, Site Manager +358 40 842 8368
Länsimetro feedback phone number (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00) +358 50 377 3700

Excavation beginning on Soukantori station entrance

15.9.2016

Two entrances will be constructed to the Soukka metro station, one at Soukantori and
another at Yläkartanontie. The demolition of a business wing is now ready at Soukantie 14, which had to be completed before excavating the Soukantori entrance.

The current work phases include open excavation and vibration isolation drilling, after which work will continue with the excavation of the shaft. This work is estimated to continue until the end of the year. The working hours for all phases of superstructure construction are Monday to Friday, 7.00 to 18.00. Blasting for open excavation will be announced by a series of short signals before the blast and a long signal afterwards.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the work.

Further information:
Skanska Infra Oy, responsible Site Manager Lauri Harri, lauri.harri(at)skanska.fi, worksite phone +358 50 560 9092
Länsimetro feedback phone number (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00) +358 50 377 3700

EIB supporting second stage of West Metro in Espoo

8.9.2016

The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced its support for the second stage of the West Metro construction project in Espoo. EIB President Werner Hoyer signed the loan agreement for the first EUR 100 million on his official visit to Finland.

“Projects like this show that what EIB does has a direct effect,” said EIB President Hoyer. “As an EU bank, our objective is to improve people’s quality of life, and improving the public transport of cities fits the bill. Faster and better traffic connections make people’s daily lives easier by much more than they come to think.

“West Metro extension in Espoo is not only an investment into public transport but also into the entire labour market region of Southern Finland. West Metro is a growth and development corridor that improves connections to Espoo’s southern parts and connects the entire area to the Helsinki metropolis,” said Espoo’s City Manager Jukka Mäkelä.

The EUR 100 million tranche is part of a total approved facility amounting to EUR 450m, the remaining part of which will be signed over the course of 2017. The loan for the second stage of West Metro will complement the EUR 450 million loan for the first stage that was provided in 2011.

Supply train crashes into stationary test drive train at Koivusaari station

29.8.2016

A supply train which had brought construction supplies to the west metro building site crashed into a stationary metro train on the northern line at Koivusaari station, at around 00.30 hrs on Thursday morning. No one was injured in the accident. The supply train and stationary M300 metro train were slightly damaged.

Metro trains are being used for test driving on the west metro, but by the time of the accident the test drives had ceased and the test drive area had been handed over as a construction site. The line has been used for transporting construction supplies since the end of the test driving. General rules have been agreed for the transport of construction supplies. The cause of the accident is being investigated.

– HKL will investigate the causes of the accident alongside Länsimetro Oy. “HKL handles the transportation of supplies for the west metro construction site and ensuring safety on construction sites is our number one priority,” said Ville Lehmuskoski, Managing Director of Helsinki City Transport HKL.

– The accident will not affect construction work on the west metro. “Occupational safety is important, which means that we need to carefully investigate the accident and make sure that similar incidents do not occur in the future,” commented Matti Kokkinen, CEO of Länsimetro Oy.

Further information:
Matti Kokkinen, CEO, Länsimetro Oy, tel. +358 50 3471558
Ville Lehmuskoski, Managing Director, HKL, tel. +358 40 5206710