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At midday on 11 December, winter swimmers brought a time capsule from the opposite bank of the River Reiu. The capsule was then placed into the bridge structure by Pärnu Mayor Kristel Voltenberg, Hannes Vaidla, Head of the Western Division of the Transport Administration, Ain Hanschmidt, CEO of Infortar, and Robert Sinikas, CEO of INF Infra.
According to Ain Hanschmidt, the construction of the Sindi–Lodja Bridge is rewriting history. “Archaeological excavations at the mouth of the River Reiu have revealed what is likely Estonia’s oldest house, dating back 7,300 years. With the building of the new bridge, however, we are writing new construction history and creating a fresh culture of cooperation, as this is the first time in Estonia that we are using the alliance contracting model, which binds the client and the contractor more closely together,” Hanschmidt said.
“By placing today’s time capsule, we mark an important milestone in the construction of the bridge. We have now completed the underground structures and reached ground level, marking the start of the above-ground phase. We will continue with the construction of the bridge piers and the installation of the steel structure, followed by the construction of the deck slab. In the second half of the summer, we will open the new bridge to traffic, after which we will refurbish the adjacent old bridge for pedestrians and cyclists,” noted INF Infra CEO Robert Sinikas.
“The time capsule placed today represents not only a new stage in the construction process but also an innovative approach to delivering infrastructure projects. The alliance model has enabled us to bring together the expertise of the client, designer and contractor at an early stage to ensure higher quality results and better-managed risks. This form of cooperation creates greater transparency and shared responsibility within the project and helps ensure that the completed bridge will benefit the region in the long term,” said Hannes Vaidla, Head of the Western Division of the Transport Administration.
The new Sindi–Lodja steel composite bridge, featuring V-shaped intermediate piers, will span the River Reiu alongside the existing reinforced concrete arch bridge. The new bridge has been designed so that it does not dominate the old one; instead, the two structures will complement each other.
The alliance procurement method—used in Estonia for the first time—is a new-generation contracting approach that differs from traditional methods in terms of early involvement, joint decision-making, and the sharing of risks and benefits between the client and the contractor.
Construction works on the site are scheduled for completion in 2027.
