European Road E18 in
Finland
European Road E18 in Finland is a road
connection from the ports of Turku and Naantali through the Helsinki
Metropolitan Area to the Vaalimaa border crossing. Route E18 is mainly composed
of national highways 1 and 7 as well as of highway 50 (Ring Road III). The national and international significance of the E18 has necessitated defining its role and development strategy as a part of the transport system.
European Road E18
The E18 is a central element of the Nordic
Triangle, which links the Nordic countries and their capitals to each other, Russia and central Europe. It is one of the transport schemes prioritised by the EU.
In Finland, the Nordic Triangle covers the road and rail connections from Turku to the eastern border via the capital region. The most important ports, airports and sea routes are also part of the transport
system. The Nordic Triangle is a central part of the transport system that serves the whole country.
"The Development Study European Road E18" was completed in April 1995 and contained the first holistic examination of the E18, a road that consists of several sections. The report defined the development strategy and programme for the E18.
Subsequently, the implementation has proceeded mainly as proposed in the Study.
The key objective of "The Development
Strategy for the Road E18" completed in January 2003 was to define a new development strategy as part of the transport system of the Nordic Triangle and to review and update the basis for the development of the E18.
Information on the main directions of the development policy of the E18 is needed in regional, municipal and corporate decision-making on activities and land use.
Videoimage from the
border of Finland and Russia:
Border traffic at the Vaalimaa
border station (E18/highway 7) |
Pages updated 18 .2.2003 | 