Planning of the Hailuoto fixed link

In the project commissioned by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, AFRY is responsible for the design together with Plaana Oy and Ponvia Oy, both members of A-Insinööri, and the builder is GRK Suomi Oy.

The connection between Oulunsalo and Hailuoto will consist of two bridges, which are a total of 1.5 kilometers long, and a 6.9 kilometer long embankment. The total length of the connection is 8.4 kilometers. AFRY is responsible for the main design of the concrete bridge on the Oulunsalo side and the geotechnical design of the project, and Ponvia is designing the steel girder bridge on the Hailuoto side. Once completed, these bridges will be among the ten longest bridges in Finland.

The development phase, which included the preparation of the construction plan and project implementation, began in March 2022, and the implementation phase began in spring 2024, when the water permit became legally binding.

Since the water permit was awaited for a long time, the project used this waiting time to its advantage. The development phase plans were prepared exceptionally well in advance of the implementation phase.

Good planning readiness contributes to speeding up and making construction more efficient. The successful implementation phase is strengthened by an extremely well-coordinated alliance team, where cooperation between the alliance parties is very smooth.

says Mikko Inkala, Director of AFRY's Finnish infrastructure business.

In addition to water permit expertise, AFRY brings high-level geotechnical knowledge and solid experience in bridge design to the project. AFRY is also responsible for project communications.

Problem-solving fascinates experienced bridge designers

Bridge designers have been challenged by issues related to ice loads, bridge lengths and concrete mass, which have been successfully resolved by the AFRY project team with in-depth professional expertise. The project involves highly skilled designers from AFRY, who have advanced routines and a broad view of challenging sites.

Ville Vuorio, the lead designer of the bridge designed by AFRY, believes that the difficult conditions make the work interesting. Problem-solving challenges professional skills in a good way, and successful problem-solving brings joy.

“At AFRY, we really hope to have challenges to solve,” says Vuorio.

According to Vuorio, working in an alliance is part of AFRY's operating methods in everything it does. Mutual trust is built through close and genuine cooperation.

“AFRY brings solutions to problems for the client and contractors and strives for the best outcome from the perspective of all parties,” says Vuorio, and continues: "Creating a good working relationship between the parties is also important for achieving the best outcome."

The goal is for the Hailuoto fixed connection to be in use by the end of 2026.