Severe traffic congestion is causing major delays in Helsinki. The road leading to Laajasalo district has one lane closed for about 200 meters due to construction work.
Multiple sources report traffic backups stretching nearly to Herttoniemi metro station. At around 7 PM, a three-kilometer journey could take up to 30 minutes to complete. One commuter estimated the travel time from Herttoniemi to Laajasalo could reach one hour during peak congestion.
The traffic disruption is also affecting bus schedules across the city. Public transport information systems experienced technical difficulties, preventing real-time schedule verification.
Laajasalo is an eastern district of Helsinki connected to the mainland by bridges, making it particularly vulnerable to traffic bottlenecks when road capacity reduces. The situation highlights how single construction projects can create widespread transportation problems in densely populated urban areas.
Commuters face extended travel times during evening rush hour as the city deals with this unexpected traffic situation. The congestion demonstrates Helsinki's ongoing challenge of maintaining smooth traffic flow while necessary infrastructure work continues.