The Swedish-Norwegian E16 Partnership group has proposed to the City of Rauma that Rauma should explore the extension of the E16 European route from Gävle to Rauma and further via Tampere, Lahti and Kouvola to Kotka.
The E16 starts in Londonderry in Northern Ireland and continues via Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bergen and Oslo to Gävle. The proposed road link is about 400 km long, mainly along motorways 12 and 15.
The City of Rauma launched the E16 study in spring 2022, which was carried out by HMA Consulting.
– The feasibility study has been discussed with the regional associations and representatives of the main cities along the route. Based on these discussions and the workshops held, the starting point for the E16 in Finland is Rauma and the end point is Mussalo in Kotka, where the current highway 15 ends,” says Mayor Esko Poikela.
The proposed route meets the technical requirements of the E-road network along its entire length and is feasible. The link does not require any new road investments, only a new E-route marking.
– Finland’s connections with current and future NATO neighbours will be given additional capacity through a possible Gävle-Rauma ferry link. There is already a regular container ship service between the two. The route will also improve opportunities for municipalities and counties to promote vitality-related projects, tourism and marketing,” says Esko Poikela.
The planned route will form an important logistics corridor for the Rauma-Kotka corridor, contributing to security of supply and strengthening Nordic cooperation. The E16 corridor can be used to launch potential projects supporting the growth corridor concept. The municipalities and regions affected by the road already have major projects underway in the fields of circular economy, green transition and sustainable development.
– It is particularly positive that all major cities and regional associations in the area affected by the project are in favour of taking the project forward,” says Esko Poikela.
The City of Rauma, together with the other cities and county associations involved in the project, will submit a proposal to the Ministry of Transport and Communications for the extension of the E16 road to the Finnish side by autumn 2023 at the latest. If the ministry approves the project, the E16 road to Finland can be submitted to the European Economic Commission’s road transport working group in autumn 2024.
European roads are international E-roads connecting European countries and crossing national borders. The E-road network is agreed in the intergovernmental “European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries”, or AGR. The agreement is coordinated by the UN Economic Commission for Europe.
The E-road network in Finland was last completed in 2001 with the addition of the E8 Alta-Kilpisjärvi-Turku, and in 2017 with the addition of the E45 Karesuvanto-Hetta-Alta. Finland has only one east-west E18 section, running from Naantali to Vaalimaa.