Estonia has once again raised the issue of an underwater tunnel to Finland
The Estonian government has revisited the idea of building a tunnel under the Gulf of Finland that could connect Tallinn and Helsinki via a direct land route. This project is being considered as a complement to the current ferry service between the two countries.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna published a column on the subject in the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.
Tsahkna noted that the partner countries of the “Nordic-Baltic Eight” need to “start thinking now about what kind of region they want to live in by 2042,” and that mutually beneficial infrastructure projects are one of the areas for such discussion.
In his view, a potential tunnel under the Gulf of Finland between Tallinn and Helsinki could become one of these priority projects.
He recalled that Finnish technical experts had assessed the feasibility of such a route as far back as 1993, after which, about 10 years ago, the authorities in Helsinki and Tallinn also conducted a similar study, and in 2018, the transportation ministries of both countries even released a joint report recommending that the idea of such a tunnel be pursued.
Tsakhna noted that Germany and Denmark are already building a similar tunnel under the Baltic Sea, which is scheduled for completion in 2032. “Together with the Tallinn-Helsinki tunnel, it could form part of the Northern European transport corridor, connecting the Nordic countries with Central and Western Europe,” the minister wrote.
“Since no significant environmental or geological obstacles or other factors have been identified that would hinder such a connection between Estonia and Finland, it is appropriate to begin preparing a special plan,” Margus Tsahkna concludes.
Estonia has completed construction of the new “Kipu” radar station on the island of Hiiumaa, which is equipped with a state-of-the-art French Ground Master 400 Alpha radar system. The new complex is capable of detecting air targets at a distance of up to 515 km and an altitude of up to 30 km, which significantly strengthens the country’s air surveillance system.
Estonia has already secured 80% of its border with Russia.
