The informal meeting of the economic and financial affairs ministers of EU member states to be organised in Helsinki will affect traffic arrangements in the capital city (Helsinki) region – especially Helsinki and Vantaa – from Thursday 12 September to Saturday 14 September. The Governors of the Central Banks will also participate in the meeting during the first day.
‘The impacts on traffic during this meeting will remain more minimal than the last meeting, because guests will be leaving the country on Saturday, for example, when traffic is less busy,’ says Chief Inspector Jarkko Lehtinen from the Helsinki Police Department.
The escorts conveying the guests into Helsinki may cause detriment to traffic on Thursday, 12 September. Consequently, there will be regular traffic interruptions between Helsinki International Airport and the city centre from the afternoon right through to the evening.
Traffic will also be disturbed within the central business district of Helsinki as the guests switch from their hotels to the conference site at Finlandia Hall on Friday morning 13 September, 7:30–9:00. There will also be traffic interruptions in the central business district during the afternoon as the conference guests transfer from Finlandia Hall back to their hotels and from there to the evening programmes starting at 17:45.
Short traffic interruptions are also expected in Helsinki’s central business district on Saturday, as guests transfer from their hotels to the conference site at Finlandia Hall in the morning (8:00–9:00).
The departure of guests from Helsinki will conversely affect traffic between Finland Hall and Helsinki International Airport on Saturday 14 September, starting at 13:00.
Most significant traffic impacts on routes between Helsinki centre and the airport
The most significant traffic impacts are expected in Tuusulanväylä (Main Road 45), Hämeenlinnanväylä (National Road 3), and Mannerheimintie Road.
– It is advisable to use alternative routes for arrival in Helsinki on Thursday and for departure from Helsinki on Saturday – for example, Itäväylä (National Road 170), Länsiväylä (National Road 51), Turunväylä (National Road 1), Vihdintie (Regional Road 120), and the Lahti motorway,’ Chief Inspector Lehtinen points out.
Public transport, bicycling and walking
Changes are anticipated to public transport, particularly in the inner city area of Helsinki as well as on routes between the airport and Helsinki centre.
Exceptions are noted on the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) website at hsl.fi.
Bicycle or pedestrian traffic will not be allowed in the surroundings of Finlandia Hall, as the area is completely isolated. However, you can get around the Töölönlahti bay right along the shore.
Aviation to be restricted within the vicinity of Finlandia Hall
Aviation will be restricted in Helsinki in a temporary no-fly zone. The restrictions will begin on Thursday 12 September and end on Saturday 14 September at 21:00.
There will be a restricted aviation zone in the shape of a square within the vicinity of Finlandia Hall. This will extend to a distance of 700–1,000 metres from the Hall. The no-fly zone will extend altitudinally 300 metres from the ground surface.
These restrictions will not apply to the military, border guard, Police, Customs, marine and aviation authorities or official agencies looking after rescue, first aid services-related or patient transport or flights assigned by the same when the performance of tasks stipulated to these authorities requires flying in the area.
Precise information on the temporary no-fly zone can be found on the website: Droneinfo.fi . It should be noted that information cannot be found on the Droneinfo application.
– The second alternative is to use other information sources such as the unofficial aviamaps.com website and Aviamaps application, which provide up-to-date info. Those of us working as authorities have also found these to be a practical and reliable source of information concerning flight-restricted areas,’ Chief Inspector Sami Hätönen advises.
The days before and during the meeting should be monitored from the following websites and social media channels:
Helsinki Police Department: www.twitter.com/helsinkipoliisi , www.poliisi.fi/helsinki, www.facebook.com/helsinginpoliisilaitos , www.instagram.com/helsinkipoliisi
Eastern Uusimaa Police Department: www.twitter.com/IUPoliisi
HSL: HSL.fi
The impacts on traffic in the centre of Helsinki jpg, 290,2 kB
Aviation to be restricted within the vicinity of Finlandia Hall jpg, 714,6 kB
