The construction of the West Metro’s Kivenlahti station is progressing on schedule and within budget. The extent of the area being built corresponds with the construction of a medium-sized shopping centre. Altogether 10,000 cubic metres of concrete will be cast during the contract.
In addition to element installations and in-situ concrete casting, the station construction project currently involves the building of heating, water and cooling trunk lines, the installation of fire hydrants, the installation of ventilation ducting and fire dampers, cable trays and lighting systems and cable laying work. Also the installation of massive smoke extraction fans has begun.
The Kivenlahti station construction contract began in June 2018. The contract includes the Kivenlahti metro station, service tunnel and the Kivenlahdentie and Kivenlahdentori entrances.
“The goal is to be able to seal off the above-ground structures by the end of the year so that the work can be continued regardless of weather conditions. We work closely with the city of Espoo in the construction of the area. The city is growing and developing around the metro,” says the Kivenlahti station’s Real Estate Development Manager Janne Nordström from the West Metro project.
Skanska is the main contractor for the Kivenlahti station. The contract currently employs around 140 employees who represent 12 different nationalities: in addition to Finns, the employees come from Estonia, Spain, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania and Kosovo, for example. Around half of the employees are Finns.
“Logistically, metro stations are demanding as the majority of the construction work takes place underground. Data models and prefabricated parts, in addition to in-situ casting, are used in the construction. This speeds up the construction schedule,” explains Petri Mälkiä, Project Manager at Skanska Infra Oy.
Along with the metro, other construction projects will start up in the area. The Kivenlahti Metro Centre will be located at the Kivenlahdentie entrance, i.e. the westernmost entrance, and will provide new services for the area. When metro traffic starts up, the Kivenlahdentie entrance will not yet be open to passengers due to other construction ongoing in the area. The entrance will be opened when the Kivenlahti Metro Centre and its services are inaugurated. A similar set-up has also been in place at the phase one Tapiola and Matinkylä stations. In Tapiola, the southern entrance was taken into use in spring 2019, and in Matinkylä, Länsimetro Oy is currently building the western entrance, which will be opened in 2020 when the Tynnyripuisto hotel and other construction is completed.
The “Kulkijat” (Wanderers) sculpture by the artist Kalle Mustonen will be placed in the Kivenlahti station, where it will serve as an iconic landmark. The sculpture consists of two wooden figures which are two and three metres tall. The piece serves as a contrast to the whiteness of the Kivenlahti station and Kivenlahti area. A naming competition will be organised for the figures at a later date.
Approximately 8,000 people currently live in Kivenlahti. The number of residents is expected to grow so that the population of Kivenlahti will be approximately 25,000 by 2050. The Kivenlahti metro station will be completed in 2022.
In the Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section of the West Metro project, seven kilometres of rail line and five new stations will be built, in addition to an underground metro depot in Sammalvuori.
Further information:
Janne Nordström, Real Estate Development Manager, West Metro project, tel. + 358 46 877 3872
janne.nordstrom(at)lansimetro.fi
Skanska Infra Oy, Project Manager, Petri Mälkiä, tel. +358 50 370 47 28 petri.malkia(at)skanska.fi
Satu Linkola, Communications Director, Länsimetro Oy, tel. +358 46 877 3392, satu.linkola(at)lansimetro.fi
