EXTENSIVE RENOVATION OF PIEKSÄMÄKI STATION TUNNEL AND CONSTRUCTION OF SLOPES AND OUTER STRUCTURES FOR LIGHT TRAFFIC

The improvement of the station tunnel and the railway yard, which had been planned for years in Pieksämäki, started in May–June 2022, when Kreate’s experts on foundation and engineering construction started the comprehensive renovation of the station tunnel under the train tracks.

Kreate’s significant foundation construction projects were complemented by the renovation of the Pieksämäki station tunnel, where we renovated the inner surfaces of the 100-metre-long tunnel under the train tracks and replaced the stairs. At the same time, we built 75-metre-long covered ramps for pedestrians and cyclists at both ends of the tunnel. The contract also included the construction of all above-ground structures of the station tunnel, such as the canopies and their façades, which were built on site from approximately 50,000 bricks.

The station tunnel is in a key location in the centre of Pieksämäki. At its lowest point, the worksite reached a depth of more than five metres from the ground, where the exceptionally high groundwater brought its own challenges. Before we could start the actual construction work, we dug completely watertight trenches.

The most challenging work phases of the project also included jet piling and the installation of sheet piles. These were carried out by Kreate’s joint venture KFS Finland Oy, which specialises in special foundation construction.

The east side of the station tunnel was completed in May 2023, and the tunnel work on the west side of the track in November 2023. Commissioned by the City of Pieksämäki, the value of the contract was approximately 6 million euros.