In the winter, business organizations drew attention to Finland's difficult logistical location on the world map. The solutions envisioned by the organizations are large in scale and arouse passion. Ultimately, however, it is a matter of time perspective: "In future investments, a quarter is 25 years," INFRA CEO Paavo Syrjö reminds us in the Construction Industry RT blog.
Infra evokes emotions.
Some swear by public transport and trains, others prefer to travel by car. Some think that all the transport connections we need have already been built – it is enough as long as they are kept in decent condition. Even the builders of castles in the sky sometimes feel like they have their own tribe, whose representatives have their feet firmly on the ground.
An example of infrastructure and emotions was provided in the winter when the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, the Service Sector Employers PALTA and the Construction Industry RT published a report on Finland's new transport connections to the world.
The report, based on the expectations of Finnish companies, aimed to alert political decision-makers to how geoeconomic changes are affecting Finland's foreign connections and international accessibility. In particular, connections to the West were highlighted.
“The West” is much more than just one of the cardinal directions for Finland. It refers to our integration into Western economies, democracies, NATO, and more broadly into international markets.
The organizations' report presented the possibilities for new western connections. No direct recommendations were given on the transport connections to be built. Instead, their concrete investigation was rushed. The work must begin already in this government term, creating the basis for phased progress in the coming decades.
After the report was published, the most enthusiastic were about to start digging a tunnel to Stockholm from that seat. The more moderate ones praised the alternative visions and perhaps began to consider the feasibility of fixed connections. Some, on the other hand, saw the report as castles in the clouds that they cannot afford to build now that the repair debt for existing infrastructure continues to grow.
However, in infrastructure, especially transport routes, confrontation is pointless, even harmful. It is not a zero-sum game where what one gives is taken away from another. Rather, it is about understanding the time perspective.
The quarter of future investment is 25 years
There are several time perspectives in transport infrastructure. In winter maintenance of routes, it can be tens of minutes. In the daily maintenance of roads and tracks, there is no room for procrastination, but the necessary actions must be timed correctly and adapted to the weather and prevailing conditions in accordance with what has been agreed with the client.
When it comes to paving, building median barriers or even new junction arrangements, we are talking about a period of one to a few years, including planning. A four-year term of office is often more than enough to go from intention to implementation.
The construction of a new bypass or waterway bridge, including the planning, permitting and construction processes, can easily take ten years. One term of government is no longer enough, and the implementation of the project requires the consensus of parliamentarians across government terms. A tool has been created for this: the Transport 12 plan examines transport policy and routes over three government terms.
When talking about future investments, a quarter refers to a quarter of a century, although that is also a short time for investments that require completely new thinking and new ways of operating. This category includes possible future bridge or tunnel connections that would connect the south and west across the Sea of Finland. The transition to the European gauge, which has been discussed since the closure of the eastern border, also falls here.
A responsible decision-maker examines transport infrastructure at different time scales
In recent years, business organizations have been concerned specifically about the long-term planning and vision of transport – or, more precisely, its lack or disorganization.
In 2022, the organizations published the business sector's Highway Vision 2025–2050. The following year, in 2023, an analysis of the service capacity of Finland's roads and railways was published. The report on Finland's new transport connections to the world, published in winter 2025, is a continuation of the same effort to fuel the discussion about our future investments.
The further you look into the horizon, the greater the political uncertainty. Today's politician doesn't get credit for possibly having initiated a tunnel to Stockholm. The bike path to Pornainen, on the other hand, may bring the much-needed votes that will secure re-election for Arkadianmäki.
Decision-makers are responsible for deciding, it is their job. A responsible decision-maker knows how to examine the transport infrastructure at different time scales, taking the overall picture into account.
The past, present, and future are not separate from each other, but are interconnected in a continuum of time. The decisions we make today – including those we don’t make – will reap their rewards in the future.
Right now, we are living in a very ambiguous geopolitical time. What will the world we know be like in fifty years, and what about a hundred? To which reference group will Finland be attached and how strong have we managed to build our concrete ties with it?
When it gets dark outside, it's a good idea to switch from low beams to high beams.
That's exactly what the time perspective is about.
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