Kehätie

Kehätie is a Finnish term referring to a ring road or bypass. These roads are designed to encircle or bypass a city or urban area, aiming to divert traffic, particularly through-traffic, away from the city center. The primary goals of a kehätie are to reduce congestion within the city, improve traffic flow, and decrease noise and air pollution in residential areas.

In Finland, many major cities have a kehätie. For example, Helsinki has its Kehä I, Kehä II, and Kehä III, which form a network of ring roads around the capital region. These roads are typically designed as high-capacity routes, often with multiple lanes and grade-separated junctions to facilitate continuous movement. The construction and expansion of kehätie networks are significant infrastructure projects that require substantial investment and planning.

The development of a kehätie can have a considerable impact on urban development, influencing the location of businesses, industries, and residential areas. While they offer benefits in terms of traffic management and urban environment quality, they can also lead to increased sprawl and reliance on private vehicles. The concept of a kehätie is a common approach in urban planning worldwide for managing traffic in metropolitan areas.