GRK has been selected to deliver the improvement of Vaasa connecting road between the Vaasa motorway and Sepänkyläntie on national road 8 and regional road 724. The value of the contract for GRK is approximately EUR 35 million. The project is commissioned by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency and the City of Vaasa. The agreement was signed on 28.5.2026. The agreement covers the development phase, after which the client will separately decide whether to approve the implementation plan and proceed to the implementation phase. The project will be included in GRK’s order backlog once the decision to proceed has been made.
The project is a pilot project of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency to scale the procurement procedure and alliance model up to medium-sized projects. In the alliance model, GRK implements the construction of the project in cooperation with the client. The consultant responsible for the design will be chosen at the beginning of the project development phase. The development phase is aimed to be completed in 2026. The implementation phase is planned to start in early 2027 and last approximately two to three years. The whole project is expected to be completed in 2029.
The Vaasa connecting road is approximately four kilometres long, mainly a two-lane section of road between the Vaasa motorway and Sepänkyläntie. It serves as an important connecting route in the urban area and steers both national and regional traffic to bypass the centre of Vaasa. The national road 8 section of the connecting road is part of the trunk network of national roads.
In the project, the road section will be converted to a medium-rail 2+2 lane road and the existing multi-level junctions will be improved. In connection with the implementation, 12 new bridges will be built and 2–3 existing bridges will be repaired, in addition to which the road and street network in the project area will be developed. Noise barriers will be constructed over approximately two kilometers. At the same time, pedestrian and cycling connections will be improved by building overpasses and underpasses, and public transport stop arrangements will be revised.
There are many commercial operations, residential areas and jobs along the road. The development of Vaasa’s land use and the region’s growing industry and logistics activities will significantly increase traffic volumes in the region in the coming years, and the noise caused by traffic is currently a burden on the surrounding residential areas.
“It’s great to once again be planning a new project in collaboration with the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency and the City of Vaasa, as well as developing and applying the alliance model to make it suitable for medium-sized projects,” says GRK’s Project Manager Timo Takala.
“Winning this contract further strengthens our order backlog and our position in delivering traditional highway projects. This is a versatile project overall. We have experienced professionals familiar with the alliance model and solid expertise in road and bridge construction to carry it out. We look forward to starting the cooperation with the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency and design partner,” adds Jaakko Mäkelä, Business Director, Civil Engineering and Road Construction.
The aim of the projects is to improve the traffic safety of the national road and highway section as well as the smoothness of road transport as part of the Turku–Oulu connection. At the same time, the area’s accessibility will be improved locally and regionally, and land-use development will be made possible. In addition, the aim is to improve the comfort of the area through noise control measures. Pedestrian and cycling connections will be improved with new arrangements, and public transport connections will be developed to improve the service level and reliability of public transport.