The construction of a 104 km stretch of the S8 expressway between the city of Lodz and the village of Walichnowy is set to make travelling easier for both local and longer-distance motorists. The scheme is also expected to improve the region’s economic prospects and help create jobs.
- 09 September 2014
About 20 000 road users per day are expected to use the new dual carriageway during its first full year of operation. The S8 will also strengthen connections between existing national roads thereby improving overall traffic flow through central Poland. The road has a design speed of 100 km/hour and a load capacity of 115 kN/axle.
Along with laying the new expressway, this scheme covers the construction of a 3.3 km long feeder road to the Pabianice bypass (an S class road) and a 6 km bypass to the south of the town of Sieradza. Work also includes the redevelopment of national road No14 as it connects with the newly constructed Walichnowy junction.
Major construction programme
In addition to the main road building activities, the scheme was divided into two stages and nine sections and provides for 11 road junctions, ten passenger service areas, maintenance areas and a number of access and service roads. Almost 100 engineering structures are under construction along the route, including 79 viaducts, 11 bridges, one overpass, five footbridges and one utility crossing. Construction of culverts includes 154 which function as small animal crossings. Revamping crossroads intersecting with the new expressway aim to ensure that it is well adapted and aligned with the existing road network.
Noise barriers, lighting, road safety and traffic management equipment are all installed as part of the scheme, in addition to traffic control and monitoring systems. Finally, road drainage infrastructure, including ditches, storm water drains and outlets intend to keep the road accessible during bad weather.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Construction of the express road S8 at the road junction Walichnowy-Łódź” is EUR 1 238 364 087, of which the EU’s Cohesion Fund is contributing EUR 1 012 220 409 from the Operational Programme “Infrastructure and Environment” for the 2007 to 2013 programming period. Work falls under the priority “Transport Safety and National Transport Networks”.