The main focus of the task is the design of the connection between Kruunuvuorenranta and Palosaari / Korkeasaari, which is situated at an approximately 1.3 km-wide portion of the Kruunuvuorenselkä water area.

The city is organising the design through an international invited competition whose participants will be selected through a procedure conforming to Finland’s public procurements legislation. Initial applications are due in August. The envisaged number of participants is between a minimum of five and maximum of 10.

Two timetables have been drawn up, depending on whether the judges decide that a second stage is needed. The first - or possibly only - stage of the competition period will begin on 19 September 2011 and conclude on 27 January 2012. The jury will attempt to resolve the first or only stage of the competition by the end of April 2012.

If the jury decides that a two-stage competition is necessary, the duration of the second competition period will be approximately four months from April or May 2012. The possible second stage of the competition will be resolved during 2012.

The jury is chaired by the city's deputy mayor for public works and environmental affairs Pekka Sauri. It also includes seven other city representatives and five from elsewhere These include Ilkka Sinisalo, representing RIL, the Finnish Association of Civil Engineers.

The main users of the Kruunusillat Bridges will be trams, cyclists and pedestrians. The traffic connection will also accommodate service and emergency vehicles. Kruununhaka is an existing city district located on the eastern side of Helsinki’s city centre; Kruunuvuorenranta is a residential area currently being designed 3km to the east.

Applications for the competition must be received no later than 3pm on 3 August 2011.

Details at www.kruunusillat.fi