Preparations for the roundabout on Jämintie, near K-Citymarket, are progressing. The proposed town plan has already been on display and the proposed street plan is currently on display until May 9, 2025. The street plan can be approved when the town plan amendment has entered into force. Construction work can begin in autumn 2025 at the earliest, if all prerequisites for commencement are met.
A traffic safety plan was prepared for the city of Kankaanpää in 2017. The Jämintie action area, which is now entering the implementation phase, is one of the change areas presented in the traffic safety plan. Jämintie traffic safety measures were already implemented in 2024 for phase 1, and phase 2 concerns the intersection of Arvonkuja and Koskurinkuja. The traffic safety plan proposes the implementation of a central island and lane arrangements for the area.
– The city has prepared a draft plan for the street change in accordance with the traffic safety plan proposal already in 2022, after which Kesko has submitted a proposal to replace the changes with a roundabout. The proposal includes This was partly due to the fact that, according to the traffic safety plan, turning from Keskuskatu into the Citymarket yard at Arvonkuja would be prohibited for safety reasons, meaning that all traffic coming to the store would in future take place via the Jämintie junction, explains the technical director of the city of Kankaanpää Pentti Saloniemi.
Both planned alternatives for the intersection of Arvonkuja and Koskurinkuja require a change in the zoning plan to be implemented, because the planned solutions do not fit into the street area according to the plan in all respects.
In terms of costs, the options are at the same level for the city.
– The cost to the city of a solution according to the traffic safety plan would have been approximately EUR 160 000 – 180 000. The total costs of the roundabout option are approximately EUR 360 000, of which Kesko has committed to paying half, i.e. a maximum of EUR 180 000, in the agreement drawn up, Saloniemi states.
The intersection of Jämintie and Keskuskatu will be reassessed.
The city's technical services work program also includes a review of the Jämintie – Keskuskatu intersection area between Käpylänkatu – Hiitolankatu, approved for 2025.
– A street plan has also been previously prepared for the intersection of Jämintie and Keskuskatu, in which the arrangements are implemented with lane arrangements and islands. However, the plan will be reviewed as part of a larger whole and other possible traffic arrangement options for the intersection will also be assessed, says Saloniemi.
Improving traffic safety requires cooperation between different actors. The city's technical services and the Southwest Finland ELY Centre are responsible for the safety of the traffic environment, while land use planning guides mobility needs and safety in the long term.
Traffic safety must be taken into account widely in different administrative regions, and police supervision and the expertise of the Finnish Transport Safety Agency support this. Responsible actions by every user are essential in everyday life. The traffic safety plan guides the targeted and continuous work of the City of Kankaanpää and its partners for the benefit of safety and sustainable mobility.
Additional information:
Technical Director Pentti Saloniemi, City of Kankaanpää, 044 577 2620, [email protected]