Rail Baltic Estonia, a company responsible for the implementation of Rail Baltica in Estonia, has announced the third consecutive tender for the construction of the Rail Baltica railway mainline. The construction section that falls within the territories of Kohila and Rapla municipalities is 7.1 kilometers long and reaches from Loone to Hagudi. If the procurement is successful, the construction is planned to begin in early 2024.
“Within the past six months, we have announced construction tenders for the Rail Baltica mainline covering a distance of 21 kilometers, and it is likely that we will add a similar volume to the tender registry within this year,” said Anvar Salomets, the Chief Executive Officer of Rail Baltic Estonia.
Salomets also stated that they aim to make the most of the already short construction season, which is why construction works are progressing quickly, including at the intersections with the Rail Baltica mainline. 8 crossings have already been completed, and construction is ongoing at 9 other sites.
Mainline construction works are planned for later this year. In the 7.1-kilometer section, which is the latest to be included in the construction tender, the construction company will have to build two ecoducts, one road viaduct, two railway viaducts, and nearly 5 kilometers of noise barriers in addition to the embankment. This section also includes a unique 224-meter-long railway bridge in Estonia.
The future Rail Baltica high-speed railway mainline will intersect with the existing infrastructure of Edelaraudtee AS on the Loone-Hagudi section. Therefore, a temporary bypass road will be constructed to allow the construction of the new Pureva viaduct, Tamme road tunnel, and Röa ecoduct for the Edelaraudtee corridor. In the future, Edelaraudtee AS will run along the Rail Baltica line. It is expected that the construction contract for this section will be signed at the end of this year.
Previously, Rail Baltic Estonia announced tenders for the construction of a 9.4-kilometer section from the border of Harju and Rapla counties to Sihi road and a 4.8-kilometer section from Ülemiste station’s east side to the intersection with Lagedi road.
The construction of the Rail Baltica railway is funded 85% by European Union funds.