EIB invests in Finland road project

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide a loan of €100 million to the city of Tampere, Finland, for the construction of a 2.3km road tunnel – the longest in the country – and the related interchanges and road improvements.

The Tampere tunnel is expected to be completed in 2017.

The €100 million long-term loan from the EIB will finance the construction of a new 4.2km motorway, including the 2.3km twin-tunnel, and improvements to 4.4km of adjacent roads. The Rantatunneli project is not only beneficial for Tampere but for the broader Pirkanmaa region, as it will improve the flow of traffic on the Pirkanmaa trunk road network, said the EIB.

EIB vice-president Jan Vapaavuori, said, “The EIB strongly supports sustainable transport projects and dynamic urban development. We are therefore particularly pleased that the city of Tampere is working again with the EU bank to address this huge challenge of building the longest tunnel in Finland.”