Itsenäisyydenkatu (literally "Independence Street") is an east–west street in the center of
Tampere
Tampere is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Pirkanmaa. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Tampere is approximately , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately . It is the most populous mu ...
, Finland. It is a significant street connection in the
city center of Tampere in terms of transport connections, as it leads from
Tampere's railway station to the
Liisankallio district in the
Tammela district. On the west side of the station, the street continues as the
Hämeenkatu
Hämeenkatu is the main street of Tampere, Finland, located in the Keskusta, Tampere, city center. The boulevard is roughly a kilometre long, and wide (driveway and sidewalk) at its widest point.
Hämeenkatu is a boulevard, which begins from t ...
street, at its eastern end it meets Kalevan puistokatu, branching into
Teiskontie
Teiskontie is a street and highway in Tampere, Finland. As its name implies, it runs from the center of Tampere towards Teisko, a former municipality connected to Tampere in 1972. To the east of the highway junction of Hervanta, it is part of H ...
and
Sammonkatu
Sammonkatu is a wide park street in the Kaleva district in Tampere, Finland. It starts at the intersection of Itsenäisyydenkatu (formerly known as ''Puolimatkankatu'') and Teiskontie (formerly ''Teiskonkatu''). The street is part of Kaleva' ...
. Today, the only crossroads on Itsenäisyydenkatu with cross-street vehicle traffic is Tammelan puistokatu–
Yliopistonkatu Yliopistonkatu may refer to:
* Yliopistonkatu (Helsinki)
* Yliopistonkatu (Tampere)
* Yliopistonkatu (Turku)
{{Disambiguation ...
.
Itsenäisyydenkatu was known from the end of the 19th century until the 1950s as the Puolimatkankatu according to the croft named Puolimatka (literally "half way") located in the area. The impetus for renaming the street was the call made by the state to the cities in 1957 to name a significant street Itsenäisyydenkatu in honor of the 40th anniversary of
Finland's independence
The Finnish Declaration of Independence (; ) was adopted by the Parliament of Finland on . It declared Finland to be independent from Russia, with reference to a bill simultaneously delivered to the Parliament to make Finland an independent ...
. The name change took effect in 1958.
In 2017, the renovation of the street and the station tunnel began, where the cross-section of the street will be renewed for a tramway to be built in Tampere. The former
bus lane
A bus lane or bus-only lane is a lane restricted to buses, generally to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion. The related term busway describes a roadway completely dedicated for use by buses, whilst ...
s were reserved for the
local light rail network so that it runs west of the intersection of Tammelan puistokatu at the south side of the street and east of the intersection in the middle of the street; due to the arrangement, the southern surface of the station tunnel had to be lowered. A
bike path
A bike path or a cycle path is a bikeway separated from motorized traffic and dedicated to cycling or shared with pedestrians or other non-motorized users. In the US a bike path sometimes encompasses '' shared use paths'', "multi-use path", or ...
was built on the northern edge of the street, and all the aged piping under the street was renewed. The renovation was completed in 2019, and tram traffic will begin in 2021.
Sights
* , an old
shoe factory
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear.
Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or ''cordwainers'' (sometimes misidentified as cobblers, who repair shoes rather than make them). In the 18th cent ...
building now in office use
* , Tampere's tallest residential building
* , a large residential apartment building representing classicism
* , a former apartment building for railway workers
* (''Tullikamarin kulttuurikeskus''), a multifunctional
cultural center
A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run.
Africa
* ...
operating in an old customs chamber building
See also
*
Hämeenkatu
Hämeenkatu is the main street of Tampere, Finland, located in the Keskusta, Tampere, city center. The boulevard is roughly a kilometre long, and wide (driveway and sidewalk) at its widest point.
Hämeenkatu is a boulevard, which begins from t ...
*
Yliopistonkatu (Tampere)
Yliopistonkatu (literally "University Street") is a north–south street in the Tulli district of Tampere, Finland. The street is a southern extension of Tammelan puistokatu, which starts at Itsenäisyydenkatu and extends south to Kalevant ...
References
External links
Streets in Tampere
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