Estonia has received a positive decision on the grant application for the military mobility project EstMilMob, aimed at improving the transport connections towards the Tapa military base over the next 5 years. The total cost of the project is 62 mln EUR, of which half will be financed by the European Union.
“Investing into infrastructure means that we will gain necessary speed and ease in the mobility of the defence forces. As a result of this work, we will also be able to receive Allied forces faster, which is important both in terms of defence as well as deterrence,” said Minister of Defence Kalle Laanet. “We indeed appreciate that the European Union and the European Commission are allocating funds to these types of projects – in the current security environment, it is a very welcome development,” added Laanet.
Due to the Russian attack on Ukraine, the need has arisen to improve the transport infrastructure in Europe, so that it would allow for dual use, both military and civilian. Therefore, the European Commission decided to bring forward its plans for allocating grants towards military mobility. Last week, the European Commission Directorate General for Transport announced the projects that will be funded from the Connecting Europe Facility’s military mobility fund.
“Considering the Russian aggression, it is very clear how important it was to create a separate facility for military mobility projects, and I hope all Member States will make effective use of this measure in order to raise capabilities in Europe. I am very glad that a project submitted from Estonia is also among the first 22 that was greenlighted. It was very well prepared and will significantly improve the effectiveness of civil and military mobility,” Director-General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission, Henrik Hololei said.
Although the infrastructure project is aimed at improving military mobility, it also entails benefits to civil and commercial users, as well as the transport sector more generally. The project includes the construction of a new dock and loading area at the Port of Paldiski, the reconstruction of the Kanama overpass, and reparations on the railway in the Valga-Tartu section.
Chairman of the board of the Port of Tallinn Valdo Kalm explained that in addition to a more swift reception of Allied equipment, the new dock will also allow for renewable energy development. “The planned investment will create the preconditions for the Port of Paldiski to become a base port for the construction and maintenance of maritime wind farms, which will in turn help Estonia reach its climate goal obligations and contribute to business development in the region.”
“Within this project, Estonian Railways will renew the infrastructure in the Ropka–Keeni and Keeni–Puka sections of the line, which will raise the quality of the infrastructure in these sections, allowing the trains to travel faster and, if needed, for the railway to be used for military logistics,” Kaido Zimmermann, chairman of the board of Estonian Railways added.
According to Director of the Estonian Transport Administration Kaido Padar, the reconstruction of the overpass and its surroundings will considerably improve traffic safety for an intersection that sees some of the heaviest traffic in Estonia, with over 32 000 drivers passing it per day. “The reconstruction of the Kanama overpass, which is limited in weight bearing and narrow, will eliminate a dangerous bottleneck. A new overpass will allow for limitless traffic, both civilian and military,” Padar said.
The EstMilMob project is exemplary in bringing together transport institutions and private companies in the interest of military mobility, which also creates favourable ground for future joint undertakings.
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Press release of the European Commission: Transport infrastructure: projects receive EUR 425 million in EU funding to boost green mobility and to adapt the network for dual civil/defence use (europa.eu)