Street plans for the renovation of Puutarhakatu and Aleksis Kiven katu approved

The aim is to renovate Puutarhakatu during 2025 and 2026. A wider bi-directional cycling path will be built on the northern side and the pavements will be built on both sides of the street. The works will improve pedestrian and cyclist conditions, traffic safety, the functioning of maintenance traffic and the attractiveness of the Puutarhakatu street environment.

After the commenting phase, some changes were made to the currently adopted plan. A stone track, for guiding the visually impaired, will be added to the intersection with Kuninkaankatu on the northern side of Puutarhakatu. The height of the kerb between the carriageway and the cycle path has been raised in part. At the intersection of Puutarhakatu and Aleksis Kiven katu, the pedestrian crossing across Puutarhakatu on the eastern side of the intersection will be made shorter. The pavement and cycle path alignment has been changed by reducing the turning angle at the eastern end of the plan area.

Parking and planting in the separation lane

Puutarhakatu will remain a westward one-way street between Aleksis Kiven katu and Hämeenpuisto Park. On the southern side of the street, there will be a separation area between the carriageway and the pavement, with parking spaces for cars and persons with reduced mobility as well as loading spaces for maintenance traffic, street lighting and plantings.

On the northern side of the street, there will be a separated pavement and a bi-directional cycle path, which is part of the regional main route for cycling in the east-west direction. Parking places for bicycles, scooters and service traffic, as well as street lights, shall be placed in a separation lane between the pavement and the cycle path.

The pavements on Puutarhakatu will be concrete slab surfaces and the cycle path will be coloured asphalt. The directions of travel on the cycle path will be separated with a centre line.

The short section in the eastern part of Puutarhakatu from Aleksis Kiven katu to Vanhankirkonpuisto Park will be two-way. Like the rest of Puutarhakatu, there will be a pavement on the southern side, and a separated pavement and bi-directional cycle path on the northern side as part of the east-west regional main cycle route.

The cycle path and vehicle lane will be separated with a stone strip. There will be two taxi service points on the northern side of the vehicle lane.

New street lighting and trees

New street lighting will be installed on Puutarhakatu, all the way from Vanhankirkonpuisto Park to Hämeenpuisto Park. The vehicle lane and the south side of the street are illuminated with cable lights, attached to the building facades. The pavement on the north side of the street is illuminated with light poles.

Efforts have been made to preserve as many of the street’s trees as possible. Current and new trees are located on the north side separation strip. The plantings in the south side separation strip are decorative grass, shrubs and trees.

Changes to rights of way

At the Aleksis Kiven katu intersection, the rights of way will change, with Puutarhakatu having the right of way and Aleksis Kiven katu traffic being required to yield to Puutarhakatu. Traffic on Näsilinnankatu will also have to yield to Puutarhakatu.

The pedestrian street on Kuninkaankatu will continues across Puutarhakatu, and its traffic will have to yield to Kuninkaankatu. The intersections of Näsilinnankatu, Kuninkaankatu and Aleksis Kiven katu will be elevated. All pedestrian crossings are designed to be accessible.

Aleksis Kiven katu renovation

Aleksis Kiven katu will be renovated in 2025. There will be a renovation of the pavement and cycling path on Aleksis Kiven katu between Puutarhakatu and Satakunnankatu. To improve pedestrian and cycling conditions, a separate pavement and a bi-directional cycle path will be built on the western side of the street.

After the commenting phase, some changes were made to the plan. One loading spot will be added near the Satakunnankatu intersection. One parking space for short-term street parking is located at the southern end of the street section. Parking spaces for people with reduced mobility will be widened.

Cyclists have their own access for crossing the Aleksis Kiven katu in the direction of Frenckellinaukio. Additional caution signs for bi-directional cycling will be removed from the intersection of Aleksis Kiven katu and Satakunnankatu.

Between the pavement and the cycle path, there will be cobblestone separator with bicycle and electric scooter parking spaces, street lighting and street trees. The separator of the vehicle lane and the cycle path will have street trees and a parking space for disabled drivers and short-term parking.

The pavement will be surfaced with concrete slabs and the cycle path with black asphalt. The island at the Satakunnankatu intersection will be removed from Aleksis Kiven katu, and the intersection area be made narrower. The lane arrangements for vehicle will remain unchanged.