The Europe Highway E18 Muurla - Lohja
Environment
The
objective of the road environment and architecture is subtle and plain
modification of the environment. The spirit of the high-quality E18 road
architecture and the principles of nature preservation and ecological
sustainability shall be upheld in the implementation.
The code colour of the Europe Highway E18 is green combined with blue and
white.
The
road runs through important natural areas and changes the natural landscape, as
well as areas of cultural landscape. The impact is efficiently alleviated with
tunnels, the placing of the road, and landscape and green bridges. Precious
natural values have affected several details in the planning of the project,
which result in specific features and limitations concerning construction. The
central specific features are:
- groundwater
protection in the areas of Suomusj�rvi and Lempola interchanges.
- individualised
alleviation measures and schedule limitations required by the numerous
habitats of flying squirrels.
- limitations
of construction in waterway sites during the spawning season of fish and the
nesting season of birds.
- purification
of surface waters and the controlled channelling of the waters into the
water system.
- Large
scale noise control
The
natural environment of flying squirrels will be protected by conserving as much
of the existing woods in their habitats as possible. The nesting trees of flying
squirrels located in the area and the vegetation in their immediate vicinity
will be preserved. Wherever possible, the surface level of the road has been
reduced near the habitats of flying squirrels to facilitate their crossing.
Aspens and hardwood trees will mainly be used in the reforestation of these
areas. The seedling material must consist of sufficiently tall trees of
different sizes.
The
planned primary measure for noise control is terrain modification. The excess
mass can be used to �overrate� noise control and ensure that it exceeds the
targeted level. At their highest, the noise banks are more than ten metres high.
By taking the natural forms of the terrain into account, the benches can be
landscaped to look as natural as possible. On sites where the embankment is high,
or in areas of geotechnical difficulty, it has been proposed that noise walls
and railings be constructed. In order to secure the visibility of the
surroundings, at least part of these walls should be transparent.
Central
environmental sites (pdf)
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