More money is needed to rehabilitate Tourujoki. The goal is to restore the river that was used by the power plant closer to its natural state and enable migratory fish to ascend it.
The price of the restoration contract for the Tourujoki, which runs through the city center of Jyväskylä, had time to increase by more than a third, when the start of the work was delayed by two years due to the appeals process.
Now, the significantly increased costs have to be re-processed in the decision-making of the city, which is already struggling with austerity pressures.
Work has already been done in Jyväskylä for the restoration of Tourujoki for a decade. They would like to return the river closer to its natural state, which would enable, among other things, the rise and reproduction of migratory fish in it.
Steel and earthworks cost the most
Even in the 2018 master plan phase, the cost estimate for the restoration of the river was just under 6.2 million euros. The restoration work was supposed to start already in 2021, but the project’s water permit was appealed to the Vaasa administrative court.
The matter was finally resolved last spring, when the Supreme Administrative Court did not grant leave to appeal.
The scale of the price increase became clear in the procurement procedure started after the permit decision. When the construction costs have become more detailed, the price tag for the work has risen to more than 8.8 million euros.
The reason for the higher cost of the project is the general rise in prices and interest rates. The steel cost index and the costs of the earth construction sector have become more expensive in recent years.
\”The river should be fixed\”
– It is unfortunate that the project has become so much more expensive during the three years due to the appeals process. Tourujoki, however, appears to the townspeople to be such an important thing that I personally see that it should be fixed, Suonperä states.
A grant of 600,000 euros has been applied for from the ELY Center of Central Finland for the Tourujoki restoration project. A decision on the grant has not yet been received, and the possible grant amount has not been taken into account in the construction costs.
By the deadline, two tenders for the renovation work that met the requirements were submitted. Tourujoki’s renovation work can still start during the coming summer, if the city government approves the continuation of the project.