Port of Tallinn opened a fully renovated town square in Tallinn’s Old City Harbour

Estonia’s most prominent port authority, Port of Tallinn, took another step closer to connecting the city centre of Tallinn with the seafront through the redevelopment of the square in front of Terminal D. The court will create an additional place for locals and Tallinn’s visitors to enjoy the seaside as well as providing a convenient connection to the city centre for ship passengers.

According to Valdo Kalm, Chairman of the Board of the Port of Tallinn, there is still a lot of work to be done in developing the Old City Harbour area. “However, the development projects show that it is possible to combine the port’s ship servicing functions with a modern urban space that considers the needs of pedestrians and cyclists.

“Terminal D’s former fully car-centric space filled with asphalt and concrete paving is now a thing of the past. Instead, we are looking forward to welcoming locals and tourists to spend time by the sea with their families, as well as event organisers who can use the area to offer enjoyable experiences for everyone,” added Kalm.

According to Mihhail Kõlvart, Mayor of Tallinn, the square in front of the D-Terminal will serve as a gateway to Tallinn and Estonia. “The port is an important connection between countries, and just as important as the connections from the port is the connection to the port. The new square in front of the D-Terminal will open up the city and the seafront to both travelers and the people of Tallinn,” said Kõlvart.

“Tallink is delighted that the front of D-Terminal, the home terminal for our ships, is now ready and will welcome seafarers arriving in Tallinn with a new look and the latest customer-friendly solutions. Together with the D-Terminal´s new building, it forms a harmonious whole as well as a representative business card for our guests at the capital’s most important sea gateway,” said Paavo Nõgene, Chairman of the Board of the Tallink Group.

The former 4500 m2 parking area now has more than 100 trees and 3,500 bushes to create a cosy atmosphere with a wide variety of seating. Awnings have been built to protect the passengers waiting for the bus and taxi from the rain, and a large area of landscaped green space has been created. In addition, two fascinating water features have been built to mark the location of the historic doughnut shop and the Girard Canal. Near the Admiral’s Bridge is a maritime-themed leisure area for children.

To ensure fast and smooth access to and from the ship, a bus park, taxi parking and Kiss & Sail parking for vehicles have been provided. New bus shelters have been created for public transport users on both sides of the street. Future tram users will be able to cross in front of the A-terminal of the Admiral’s Bridge, where a new tram stop will be completed in early 2025.

The project for the outdoor area in front of Terminal D of the Old City Harbour was designed by K-Projekt AS, Roadplan OÜ, AB Pluss OÜ, and Infragate Eesti AS and built by Nordecon AS. The total cost of the project was EUR 6.7 million. The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) co-financed the construction works under the Twin-Port 4 project.