Finland’s Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA) has granted around €1 million for planning of the northern section of the eastern bypass in Salo for 2023.
The planning phase is expected to begin in spring next year and be completed in autumn 2024, with the government choosing an option for construction sometime in 2025, according to Finnish media reports.
The cost of the 4km road project, which includes eight bridges, is estimated at €40 million.
Salo, located on the south-western tip of Finland, has a population of around 52,000. Because of its location – 115km from the capital Helsinki and 50km from the provincial capital Turku – it lies on a major goods transportation route. European route E18 runs through Salo, passing the city centre a few kilometres to the north, but the national road 52 between Raseborg and Somero goes through the city centre.
In 2016, Salo signed a letter of intent with Los Angeles-based company Virgin Hyperloop One in order to launch a project to build a 50km Hyperloop tube between Salo and Turku.
Salo had a large consumer electronics and mobile phone industry, with a manufacturing plant operated by Nokia – once the towns dominant employer - and briefly by Microsoft Mobile in the 2010s until it was shut down.
