“This year and next year we will build a record total of 45 kilometres of new four-lane national road sections, which will soon make travel safer and more convenient for all of us. Preparatory work already began last year, but from today the work will become increasingly visible on the national road, and soon it will start affecting traffic arrangements,” said Priit Sauk, Director General of the Estonian Transport Administration. “The most important change for road users is that this spring and summer, people travelling from Tallinn to Pärnu and vice versa should expect longer travel times.”
“Last year we decided to significantly increase road funding. This year we are allocating nearly €281 million to road maintenance and development, and more than €1 billion over four years. That decision has now truly reached the roads: work has started and the largest four-lane national road construction programme since Estonia regained independence is underway,” said Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis. “A good road is an investment in safety, the economy, and security, but every road must first be built. Short-term inconvenience is a step toward long-term certainty.”
In 2026 and 2027, the Estonian Transport Administration will build a total of 45 kilometres of new four-lane roads in the Märjamaa area and on the Libatse–Nurme section across eight road segments. Throughout the construction period, traffic must be maintained with a 1+1 lane arrangement. The speed limit during construction will be 70 km/h, with shorter sections limited to 50 km/h or 30 km/h depending on the type of work.
As a result, drivers should expect that during this summer’s construction period, trips between Tallinn and Pärnu may take 30–45 minutes longer than usual.
Construction on the road sections begins this year, with the major works scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027, while one project (Konuvere–Päärdu) will be completed in 2028. The total cost of construction for all sections is about €235 million. Seven of the eight projects have received support from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and the European Union Cohesion Fund.
For precise information about traffic arrangements during construction, please visit website TarkTee.
