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Tallinn is preparing a substantial renewal of the public space in Mustamäe’s second microdistrict, with construction scheduled to begin on 14 September 2026. The project will update the quarter’s internal streets and footpaths while adding dedicated walking and cycling routes, organised parking and measures intended to improve traffic safety.
The city puts the total cost of the works at approximately €3.5 million. Construction is expected to continue until December 2027, according to the Tallinn city information service and project documentation. The work will cover a residential area bounded by Ehitajate tee, E. Vilde tee, Akadeemia tee and Kadaka tee. ([adaur.ee](https://www.adaur.ee/tallinna-linn-rajab-mustamaele-uued-teed-ja-turvalisemad-liikumisvoimalused/?utm_source=openai))
A wider public-space renewal
The scheme goes beyond resurfacing. Tallinn plans to reconstruct the principal internal roads and improve the pedestrian network with separate walking and cycling paths. Parking areas will be formalised, while street lighting, landscaping and street furniture will also be renewed.
Technical infrastructure forms a significant part of the project. The planned works include upgrades to district-heating pipes, stormwater drainage, and water and wastewater networks. This approach is intended to coordinate transport improvements with the underground systems that support the neighbourhood, reducing the need for separate interventions later.
The city’s project page describes the existing quarter as an established residential area where pedestrians currently face uneven or incomplete routes and where parking has developed in places without a clearly organised layout. The design therefore combines mobility improvements with traffic calming and better management of the space between apartment buildings. ([tallinn.ee](https://www.tallinn.ee/et/mustamae2?utm_source=openai))
Safer routes for everyday journeys
Traffic safety is a central element of the plan. The quarter already has a 20-kilometre-per-hour speed limit, and the design includes raised intersections, shifted junction alignments and other measures intended to discourage straight-line driving at higher speeds.
Separate paths for pedestrians and cyclists are planned along the main internal roads. The project documentation also calls for improved street lighting and better stormwater management, both of which affect how comfortable and usable the public realm is during darker or wetter periods of the year.
One local circulation problem will be addressed by creating a new access route from the Kaja Cultural Centre car park to E. Vilde tee. The new connection is designed to reduce vehicle movements in front of the loading area of a nearby Maxima shop, where visibility is limited. In practical terms, the change should separate service-related movements from a location used by people walking through the quarter.
Bus stop to receive a new platform
Public transport is included in the renewal. A new bus stop is planned on E. Vilde tee, with a 41-metre waiting platform and a passenger shelter. The new arrangement is intended to provide a more formal and accessible stopping area than the existing layout.
Although the project is local in scale, the combination of road, walking, cycling and public-transport improvements reflects a broader urban-development principle: neighbourhood streets are used for more than moving cars. They are also access routes to schools, shops, cultural facilities, homes and green spaces.
The project area includes the Kadaka basic school, two kindergartens, the Juks support centre, Kaja Cultural Centre, the Mustamäe district administration, a shop and small businesses. The renewal will therefore take place in a mixed everyday environment rather than on a single through-road.
Construction will take place in phases
The city has warned residents to expect temporary inconvenience during the construction period. Because the project combines surface works with utility renewal, access arrangements and traffic organisation will have to change as different sections are completed.
The city’s published design indicates that the main road alignments will largely remain in their present locations. The focus is instead on improving how those routes function: clearer pedestrian and cycling space, safer junctions, dedicated parking pockets, better lighting and more controlled vehicle speeds.
For Mustamäe, the project represents a long-term investment in an established housing area rather than an expansion into undeveloped land. Its success will depend not only on the finished asphalt and paving, but also on whether the new routes remain easy to use, the bus stop works well for passengers and the landscaped spaces are maintained over time.
Work is scheduled to start on 14 September 2026, with completion planned for December 2027.
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