The purpose of demolishing the viaduct is to speed up dismantling work, increase safety during demolition, and reduce disruption to traffic. It also provides the Defence Forces with an opportunity to further gain knowledge and refine their skills in conducting delay operations at viaducts as tactical support points, including the construction of such obstacles for military defense purposes.
The railway viaduct will be demolished late in the evening on April 1 at 11:00 PM, and the highway will be closed to traffic from 10:00 PM until it reopens at 6:00 AM the following morning. During this time, traffic will be redirected via local roads.
Additionally, demolition by blasting helps reduce the duration of dismantling work, the length of noise caused by demolition, and the overall disturbance to the public.
“The old railway viaduct had long been ownerless property and, during the expansion of the Tallinn–Pärnu highway, is in the way of the new road both in terms of its location and structure,” explained Olari Valter, bridge asset management expert at the Transport Administration. “This is also the third time it provides us with a good opportunity to cooperate with the Defence Forces on how best to demolish a viaduct in a high-traffic environment.”
“One of the tasks of the Engineer Battalion is to halt or hinder the enemy’s advance, which we can achieve by building obstacles as well as destroying infrastructure. Each practical exercise gives us a valuable opportunity to maintain our skills and develop the necessary knowledge,” said Captain Urmas Tonto from the Engineer Battalion of the 1st Infantry Brigade of the Defence Forces, who is leading the blasting operations. “The demolition of the Halinga structure is made more complex, but also more interesting, by the lack of construction documentation and certain operational constraints, as we must take into account nearby residential houses.” In addition to the Engineer Battalion, specialists from the Scouts Battalion and the Estonian Defence League’s engineering field are also involved in preparing the blasting works at the Halinga railway viaduct.
“For KMG OÜ and Infragreen OÜ, this is an important construction contract on the Tallinn–Pärnu–Ikla highway section Halinga–Kangru km 103.5–108.5. If we can contribute to maintaining Estonia’s defense capability in cooperation with the Defence Forces and the Transport Administration, it is our privilege to offer our expertise and equipment for the demolition of the viaduct,” said Targo Toots, member of the management board of KMG OÜ.
The demolition and cleanup of the old railway viaduct will be carried out by KMG OÜ and Infragreen OÜ.
The demolition of the railway viaduct is part of the construction of the 2+2 lane section of the Tallinn–Pärnu–Ikla highway between km 103.5–108.5 (Halinga–Kangru). The total cost of the works is €25.5 million, plus VAT. The construction is co-financed by the European Union at a rate of 85%.
More information can be found in the Tark Tee portal.
