Old Erkkilä bridge could return by autumn 2025
Tampere may reinstall the old Erkkilä girder bridge between Näsisaari and the mainland, but reassembly depends on a legally valid street plan and upcoming city budget decisions.
Tamperelainen reported that a reader spotted crane crews moving sections of the turquoise steel bridge last weekend, but Tampere construction director Milko Tietäväinen warns the project hasn't formally started. He says the beams were relocated to allow ground compaction work in case the structure is reused. Construction engineer Jukka Rantala says reassembly is proposed in next year’s investment budget but cannot begin without a legally valid street plan.
The bridge site appears in several draft plans for the future Järvikaupunki area, but it's not marked in the current zoning plan. Inclusion in the official plan depends on the Vaitinaro interchange work, which city documents say is unlikely to reach legal force before later this year.
If the bridge is rebuilt, officials plan to convert the Pispala log-driving tunnel into a year-round, 24/7 route for light traffic between the Pyhäjärvi and Näsijärvi shoreline paths. That tunnel work could happen no earlier than 2028, and both projects hinge on the city's upcoming budget decisions.
The original Erkkilä girder bridge was dismantled during the Tampere rail yard project. A separate new rail bridge is scheduled to open this August under current targets.
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