The ferry connection runs between Kruunuvuorenranta and Meritullintor. Commuters are satisfied with the newly opened sea connection.
On a day in May, there are quite rapid changes in the weather in the capital region.
The sun sometimes shines like spring, but the day can also include clouds and momentary hailstorms. Even though summer is approaching, the wind by the sea is cold from time to time.
We are on Helsinki’s newest ferry route. It runs between Meritullintor and Kruunuvuorenranta.
– This is absolutely amazing, it beats sitting in a crowded bus and subway! And a big thank you, that the bicycle travels free of charge on the ferry.
The temporary ferry connection is to be kept running until the completion of the Kruunusilto at most.
The bridge connecting Kalasatama and Laajasalo is scheduled to be completed in a few years. The goal for starting tram traffic is in 2027.
Pedestrians and cyclists may be able to access the bridge earlier.
– I hope that there would be a ferry option when the bridge is finished, says Matias Kietz.
On May Day, there was a queue to board the ship
The ferry service between Meritullintori in the center of Helsinki and Kruunuvuorenranta in Laajasalo started last Monday, on May Day.
The ride on the Admiral ship, which carries a total of 218 passengers, was interesting until the queue in the May Day mood.
The sea voyage will be run for the first summer under the auspices of HSL. Previously, the route was driven by private forces.
Now the route can be accessed with HSL’s AB ticket. Tickets are not sold on the ferry or on the ferry docks. Passengers are asked to buy a ticket in advance or use an HSL card or application to buy a ticket.
Now, during the day, there are a dozen customers on the ferry. Some are on a pleasure ride and some are on a business trip.
According to Captain Nyholm, the people of Krunuvuori have quickly adopted the line as their own, and the traffic gets livelier during commuting times.
– Even though the route is the same back and forth, I don’t get bored. Shipping is full of surprises. There is never the same day, he says about his job as a captain.
Due to the ice, the year-round route is replaced by a winter-passage ship in the fall. Nyholm is satisfied with the fact that the connection was realized year-round and that you can quickly get to the center from Laajasalo.
– The trip takes less than 20 minutes each way in good weather in the summer.
Laajasalo is closely monitoring the construction of the bridge
– Access to the ferry is easy and barrier-free. Traveling with strollers has been made convenient.
Koponen continues that there is so much road work and construction going on in Kruunuvuorenranta and Laajasalo that many commuters will surely thank the ferry connection.
– At least for us, this is the fastest route to the city center. But if you lived inland in Laajasalo, it might be faster to travel by bus and subway.
Koponen praises the sea route to the city center because previously there was only one bus connection between Laajasalo and the inner city of Helsinki.
– Transportation has been really challenging until now. If you are traveling with a stroller and the bus is full, you cannot get on and have to wait for the next bus.
The Koponen family is looking forward to the time a few years from now, when the bridge connection between Laajasalo and the inner city will be ready.
– We follow the completion of the bridge and the construction of the infrastructure every day from home. All the big bridge elements pass under our window. I can’t wait for the bridge to be finished.
The family has lived in Kruunuvuorenranta for three years.
– There is such a spirit of one’s own village here. The whole of Laajasalo has a certain kind of local pride, Henna Koponen praises.
The desired ferry connection is delightful
A fresh ferry service operates next to K-market Kruunuvuorenranta.
– We are pretty much at the bottom here. Without the ferry, it would be quite difficult to travel to the playgrounds in the city center.
According to Kumpulainen, Kruunuvuorenranta has changed enormously and the area looks completely different than, say, five years ago.
– Old islanders come to hang out at the store, and they don’t recognize the place as the same. The pace of change is really fast, he sums up the progress of the construction works.
*You can discuss the topic until Sunday, May 7 at 11 p.m.*