Kehä I
Encyclopedia
Ring I is the busiest of all highways in Finland
, carrying up to 113,000 vehicles per day. It is the innermost of the three beltways in the Greater Helsinki
region, numbered as regional route 101 and runs from the eastern-most part of Espoo
to Itäkeskus
in eastern Helsinki
. The total length is 24.2 kilometres (15 mi), of which 16 km (9.9 mi) are in Helsinki. It is primarily intended for local traffic—before the large road numbering change in the 1990s and the reconstruction of Ring III, Ring I was also designated as a bypass
for avoiding Helsinki centre.
Ring I has at least two lane
s per direction for its entire length but a speed limit
that never exceeds 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph) owing to heavy traffic. With the introduction of new grade-separated interchanges
, provisions have been made to increase the speed limits to 70–80 km/h. Eventually, all of the junctions on Ring I will be upgraded to grade-separated interchanges. However, the road was not originally constructed as a motorway, which limits its capacity..
, a major modernisation project on the road is under way at Leppävaara
, Espoo
, where the road has now been diverted into a tunnel. The aim is to ease the flow of traffic in what was previously the worst traffic bottleneck in the Greater Helsinki
area. Construction work will be finished by 2012.
Highways in Finland
Roads in Finland comprise of highways, paved and gravel roads which are divided in four to five classes according to their local importance...
, carrying up to 113,000 vehicles per day. It is the innermost of the three beltways in the Greater Helsinki
Greater Helsinki
Greater Helsinki and the smaller Helsinki Metropolitan Area or Capital Region refer to two regions of different size surrounding Helsinki, the capital of Finland...
region, numbered as regional route 101 and runs from the eastern-most part of Espoo
Espoo
Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....
to Itäkeskus
Itäkeskus
Itäkeskus is a quarter in the neighbourhood of Vartiokylä in the eastern part of Helsinki. The district's main attraction is the largest covered-in shopping mall in the Nordic countries, Itäkeskus shopping centre...
in eastern Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. The total length is 24.2 kilometres (15 mi), of which 16 km (9.9 mi) are in Helsinki. It is primarily intended for local traffic—before the large road numbering change in the 1990s and the reconstruction of Ring III, Ring I was also designated as a bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
for avoiding Helsinki centre.
Ring I has at least two lane
Lane
A lane is a part of the roadway within a road marked out for use by a single line of vehicles in such a way as to control and guide drivers for the purpose of reducing traffic conflicts. Most public roads have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each direction, separated by Lane markings...
s per direction for its entire length but a speed limit
Speed limit
Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum , minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign...
that never exceeds 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph) owing to heavy traffic. With the introduction of new grade-separated interchanges
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
, provisions have been made to increase the speed limits to 70–80 km/h. Eventually, all of the junctions on Ring I will be upgraded to grade-separated interchanges. However, the road was not originally constructed as a motorway, which limits its capacity..
, a major modernisation project on the road is under way at Leppävaara
Leppävaara
Leppävaara or Alberga is a district of Espoo, a city in Finland. A major traffic hub in the Greater Helsinki region, the Rantarata rail line and Kehä I, the busiest road in Finland, cross in Leppävaara. The Sello Shopping Centre is also located there...
, Espoo
Espoo
Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....
, where the road has now been diverted into a tunnel. The aim is to ease the flow of traffic in what was previously the worst traffic bottleneck in the Greater Helsinki
Greater Helsinki
Greater Helsinki and the smaller Helsinki Metropolitan Area or Capital Region refer to two regions of different size surrounding Helsinki, the capital of Finland...
area. Construction work will be finished by 2012.