Tampere to widen Valssipadonraitti by two metres and install temporary pedestrian and cycle bridge

Tamperelainen reports that Valssipadonraitti will be closed this June to allow demolition of the Patosilta bridge and the rapid construction of a provisional pedestrian and cycle crossing between Koskipuisto and Vanhan kirjaston puisto. For a few weeks during demolition and installation, pedestrians and cyclists will be redirected via Hämeensilta or Satakunnansilta.

The upgrade will widen Valssipadonraitti by two metres along its entire length and convert it into separate walking and cycling lanes – a cycleway at least 3 metres wide and a 2.5-metre walking lane. Surfaces and lighting will be renewed, bridge railings repaired, and the Pihasilta alignment will be eased to improve visibility on the approach to the Frenckell tunnel.

Bottlenecks and a sharply curving approach have already strained capacity. Numbers are expected to rise further once the Frenckell building is renovated into a hotel.

Work will be phased over several years, starting with widening the tunnel and replacing the bridges in summer 2026; traffic arrangements are expected to remain in place at least until 2028. The project is run by the City of Tampere with YIT Infra Oy as contractor and proceeds under the supervision of the Pirkanmaa Provincial Museum, which aims to preserve the park’s mature lindens and maples.

Yle adds that the “love locks” attached to the railings of Patosilta will not be removed immediately; owners will be able to retrieve their locks, likely next spring when demolition of the old bridge begins, and the city is considering turning any locks left behind into an art installation. Yle also recalls that in 2012 artists Antti Pussinen and Kaija Papu melted removed locks into a cube, which sparked public controversy.