Construction of the Pirkkala–Linnainmaa Tram Line Progressing During Spring and Summer – Tracks, Stops, and Street Surfaces Under Construction
Tramway construction in Hatanpää, Härmälä, Partola, and Kaupinlaakso is progressing on schedule. Most of the municipal infrastructure work will be completed during summer 2026, and some of the future tram streets are already getting their final surface layers. The majority of the tracks between Sorin aukio and Partola, as well as between the Kauppi campus and Ruotula, will be built during this year.
As spring arrives, construction work on the tramway sites speeds up. During spring and summer 2026, most of the underground pipe and cable relocations will be completed, and the construction will focus on road and track structure layers as well as final surface finishing.
“This summer, we’re doing a lot of surface work such as asphalting, paving, and some landscaping. For the track builders, this will be the busiest year, as we’ll install about six kilometers of double track by the end of the year,” says Sari Valjus, Project Manager for the Tampere Tramway Pirkkala–Linnainmaa Alliance.
Construction of new tram stops will start during summer 2026. The Viinikanlahti, Arboretum, Rantaperkiö, Härmälä, and Ruotula stops will take shape this year. Tram stop shelters and fittings will be installed closer to the start of tram operations.
The first electrical works for the new tram line will also begin during the summer.
“In July, we will install overhead wires on Hatanpään valtatie between the bus station and the Tampereen valtatie intersection. Installation of tramway technical systems such as traffic lights, lighting, and switch control will also proceed well this year. The power supply stations will be completed as buildings, and we’ll continue equipment installations inside them,” Valjus continues.
Traffic lights at Hatanpään valtatie and Tampereen valtatie intersection by late summer
On Hatanpään valtatie, cable and pipe relocations will largely be completed during the summer, after which work will continue on street structures and surface layers. Track construction will resume in late April. Overhead wire installation will begin on the north side of Tampereen valtatie in July.
In Hatanpää, the track will largely be built on pile-supported ballast slabs. Piling work along the track area will take place in June–July between Hatanpäänkatu and Hatanpään puistokuja as well as between Siirtolapuutarhankatu and the Vihilahti bridge.
The eastern section of the Vihilahti bridge will be completed in summer 2026, after which the other side of the bridge will be renewed. The entire Vihilahti bridge will be completed in spring 2027. The Viinikanlahti bridge will be finished during this year.
Traffic lights at the intersection of Hatanpään valtatie and Tampereen valtatie will become operational in late summer 2026. However, street construction in the intersection area will continue until 2027. In the southern part of Hatanpään valtatie, traffic lanes will be shifted to their final positions around April–May.
A through-traffic ban remains in effect on Hatanpään valtatie between Tampereen valtatie and Lahdenperänkatu on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The restriction does not apply to public transport or property access. Its purpose is to ease movement for local residents, businesses, and public transport.
Photo: Tampere Tramway Pirkkala–Linnainmaa Alliance / Wille Nyyssönen.
Track construction in Härmälä – Traffic arrangements at intersections
Track construction has resumed after the winter break near Härmälänranta. During spring and summer, work along Nuolialantie will include road structure layers, cable routes, and installation of curbstones and lighting. In addition, street and track areas will be asphalted, and traffic lanes as well as pedestrian and cycling paths will be partially moved to their final alignments.
Construction of the Rantaperkiö, Härmälä, and Härmälänranta tram stops will also begin during the summer. The Härmälänoja bridge at the Tampere–Pirkkala municipal border will be completed in August.
In the eastern part of Nuolialantie, near Rantaperkiö, ballast bed work for the track will start in early April. As work progresses, road crossings along Nuolialantie between Lentokentänkatu and Talvitie will be closed, and some bus stops will be relocated. Track work will reach the Talvitie–Nuolialantie intersection by the end of May, where a temporary roundabout will be built for the summer. Some junctions along Nuolialantie will be closed as construction of the intersections proceeds.
First rails in Partola during spring
This spring in Partola, municipal infrastructure work such as district heating and cable routes will be finalized before moving on to track bed construction. In the spring, new trees will be planted along Mustimäentie to replace removed ones. Around the future Partola tram stop, construction of the planned Partolanaukio square will continue through summer. Track installation in the Partola area will also begin during the spring.
The traffic roundabout at the intersection of Naistenmatkantie and Nuolialantie will be expanded in May, and tracks will run through its center. The Kaartotie connection to Naistenmatkantie will be closed to vehicular traffic for about a month in June, with a detour via Pakkalantie.
Most track and street work in Partola will be completed in 2026. By autumn, nearly all vehicular traffic in the area will use the final routes.
Track construction across Arvo Ylpön katu in Kaupinlaakso
In Kaupinlaakso, cable and pipe relocations will be completed during the summer. Spring and summer work includes building track beds, ballast slabs, and ballasted track along Lääkärinkatu. Construction of the Ruotula tram stop near Tenniskatu will also start during the summer.
A retaining wall will be built on Arvo Ylpön katu north of the new alignment of Lääkärinkallionkatu. Lääkärinkallionkatu will be finished by late summer. On Arvo Ylpön katu and Lääkärintie, paving, asphalting, and landscaping will start in May.
Tracks will be built across the intersection of Arvo Ylpön katu, Lääkärintie, and Lääkärinkatu from April until June. Lane arrangements will change a couple of times through spring as track work advances. Traffic lights at the Arvo Ylpön katu–Lääkärintie intersection will become operational this autumn.
New tracks and completed buildings at the depot
The tram depot expansion is progressing, with building and yard area extensions and modifications continuing throughout the summer. During spring and summer, new tracks and traction power poles, overhead wires, and other systems are being installed at the depot. This year, construction will be completed for the maintenance and repair halls, the extended tram storage hall, the expanded power supply station, and the outdoor storage shelter. The depot construction work does not affect traffic outside the depot area.
By the end of 2026, approximately two-thirds of the construction work on the Tampere Tramway Pirkkala–Linnainmaa line will be complete. The goal is to implement final street arrangements by 2027. Tram service between Kauppi campus and Ruotula stops, as well as between Sorin Square and Partola stops, will begin in August 2028.