Finland Implementation Saimaa Tender

The fairway was suspended on Tuesday 9 November. 2021 Acquisition of an alliance contract for the extension of the Saimaa canal closures. The suspension of the acquisition will postpone the planned traffic disruptions in Saimaa canal traffic.According to the Finnish Transport Agencys current view the project will be implemented during one 15-month traffic disruption. The initial date of the new traffic interruption is from January 2024 to May 2025. This implementation model reduces the risks of the project secures the opening of vessel traffic on schedule and increases predictability for water transport operators in the Saimaa region. If the chosen model is reached it means keeping the canal closed during the summer 2024 season.Construction work to develop the Saimaa Canal was planned to take place during two eight-month traffic interruptions in the winter seasons 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. During the preparation of the project and the now suspended procurement phase it has become apparent that this option would have involved significant risks in particular with regard to timing.The procurement of the construction contract will start again when the matters left open in the first procurement phase have been resolved and the contract can be carried out in a controlled manner.