Transport: the fivefold desires-reality gap

Photo: Andrus Eesmaa / Järva Teataja

Economy ministry is about done with next seven years’ transport investment list. The trends remain the same. Forget things like Saaremaa-mainland bridge, Lasnamäe streetcars and 4-lane Tartu Highway – for the time being.

Ministry of Economic Affairs has completed a list of large-scale transportation objects. From among these, selection will have to be made 2014–2020. The time-frame coincides with next EU 7-years’ budget – main source for the money.

Basically, as also admitted by the ministry, this could be likened to a «letter to Santa Claus». Not a letter of guarantee; rather, an attempt has been made to write down everything that anybody has mentioned: all kinds of development plans and drafts have been scanned through, local governments interviewed, and partners like airport, railroads etc. consulted.

The result: a list of many colours. Covering highways, railways, issues aeronautic and nautical, plus local roads and streets. Objects ranging from Tallinn-Tartu Highway to tram tracks in Lasnamäe. Every item comes with the price, a rough one. With a few exceptions – like the state’s plan to buy up islands-mainland ferryboats – the plans are basically covered.

Plans without finances

To begin with: the gap between desires and reality is gaping, nearly fivefold. Objects worthy of building amounting to €2.5bn, the money available amounting to half a billion. At that, the €2.5bn wish list does not reflect such megaprojects as Rail Baltica, a new ice-breaker or Saaremaa bridge. With the latter, is has already been assumed that finances will come some other way – not the «transport way».

Secondly: the Saaremaa bridge, though in the list, is mere ornament. No one expecting it to be built, really. While all other projects include sources of finance, the debate raging over whether or not they fir the budget, then Saaremaa bridge stands «blank»... no money in sight at all.

Thirdly: Tallinn-Tartu highway goes as the way Postimees has covered, these past few months. Meaning – four lines up to Võõbu, probably; these euros being provided. From there to Mäo, or onwards to Tartu? Forget it – no money.

Fourthly: the table comes with nostalgia – like restoration of Tallinn-Haapsalu railway. Which would be so expensive (€53m, an estimate) that all else on railways would have to be cancelled. Also: choosing between railway lines like Tallinn-Tartu, Tallinn-Keila, Tallinn-Paldiski and Tallinn-Haapsalu – how does one substantiate favouring the latter? 

Meanwhile, the «ministry list» is sending signals to local governments – candidates running at upcoming elections having come up with promises of various sorts. And state/EU purses saying no to most of that.

Like the multi-level Haabersti crossing – priced at €64m. Cohesion Funds offering €40m for TEN-T network (a pan-European one). Concluding: no money for Haabersti; the latter also not qualifying for EU TEN-T funds. 

Tram too dear

Namely, speaking about Tallinn, the TEN-T network would start at the harbour, proceed through Russalka crossing towards Lasnamäe, an on to the roundabout. In that context, Haabersti ought not to have been listed at all. Even so, the attempt was to cover it all.

No money in sight, also, for the Lasnamäe streetcar – the dream being so expensive (€217m) as to eat up the rest of the transport projects. 

With no final decision taken, it is still quite clear who gets the money. Firstly, this is because a part of the projects has already been written into development plans and draft bills. Yesterday, for instance, the ministry presented road maintenance plans for 2014–2020, signed by government – the first document bearing a signature, grabbing a large part of the investments available. 

Also, the transport development plan to be signed this fall will determine a large number of transportation projects, for upcoming years.

To sum it all up: from the Santa Claus letter, a concrete investments plan should emerge by mid-2014, hopefully. In all probability, thins will continue the same old way – money granted towards the main highways, something thrown at the harbours and airport; railway made faster at important sections (120 km/h); local governments getting their share. 

The dreamers, the four-lane-lovers, the bridge-builders and the like will have to calm down and face reality. Or seek for treasures, elsewhere.

Next mega-project

In Estonian road-construction, the next mega-project is the Tallinn roundabout reconstruction with six multilevel crossings in pipeline, and four lines full length.

•    Multi-level crossings come to Kurna, Põrguvälja, Karla, Lagedi, and Väo. Jälgimäe will have a two-level crossing with no entry-exit slips.

•    All multi-level crossings will feature 2+2 lane highways.

•    The largest crossing will be built where Tallinn roundabout and Tallinn-Narva Highway meet, at Väo. Plans prescribe it will be completed in 2017–2018. Construction commences in 2015, earliest.