Work on construction of the Kallioparkki underground parking garage is slated to begin in early June at the Oulu Market Square. The entire construction area will be closed and fenced off for the duration of the project, an estimated three years.
Many entrepreneurs based in the market square have raised concerns about how the project will affect businesses and the inconvenience of having such a large construction site in the heart of the city.
On Monday, Lemminkäinen Oyj, the contractor for Kallioparkki, notified local businesses about what they can expect regarding the construction work.
In the initial stages of the project, there likely will be much disturbance. But as work proceeds deeper underground, the ruckus and dust should decrease to almost nil. Unavoidably, however, there will be detonations daily, although Lemminkäinen assures that there will be at most four a day. Work at the site will take place from 7:00 to 21:00 daily.
Construction of the underground structure will also affect the traffic situation near the market square. The number of available parking spaces downtown will also be affected and likely will decrease by about a hundred.
Although the overall footprint of the construction site will likely diminish as the project progresses, many of the parking places in the market square will be displaced for the entire duration of project, including a number of spots near the Radisson Blu hotel and all of the spaces in Ahtisaari Square.
