Article categories: News
A flexible solution found – the boating channel will remain open when work allows
Published: 6.5.2026
In April, the City of Vaasa announced that the boating channel between Kalaranta and the Inner Harbour would be closed for the summer due to the construction of the Vaskiluoto pedestrian and cycling bridge. The decision has now been reviewed, and the channel will be kept open as much as possible over the summer.
In the spring, the City of Vaasa and the contractor concluded that the channel could not be opened safely before September. However, following feedback and requests from boaters, the construction site arrangements have now been reviewed.
– We have fine-tuned the work phases and schedules so that the channel can remain open even while construction is under way. Safety still remains our top priority, says Jukka Talvi, Director of Public Utility Services.
Usually the channel will remain open at weekends. The channel will not be opened for individual days; instead, closures and openings will be scheduled in periods of multiple days to keep the situation as clear and predictable as possible for boaters.
– We apologise for the original assessment and the inconvenience it has caused. In hindsight, it is clear that closing the channel for the entire summer would have been unnecessarily restrictive. The decision had already affected many people’s plans, but we hope the new arrangement will make boating easier this summer, Talvi says.
Up-to-date information is available online
On site, the buoys indicate whether the channel is open or closed. If the channel is not closed off by buoys, it is open for boaters. When the buoys are in place, the channel is closed.
Up-to-date information on the channel’s status is available on the city’s website on the Boating channel opening hours page. Advance information on upcoming closures is updated on the page around three weeks in advance, and the page is kept up to date throughout the summer.
– The website provides information on the times when the boating channel is closed. At any other times, the channel will remain open. Progress in the various stages of bridge construction affects the schedule, which is why closure periods for the entire summer unfortunately cannot be set in advance, Talvi explains.