EU funding has contributed to the construction of a 22 km section of the S7 expressway from the municipality of Orońsko in Mazovia province, central Poland, to the border with Świętokrzyskie province to the south. The road forms part of the Trans-European Transport Network's Baltic-Adriatic corridor and also forms a section of European route E77, which runs from Kaliningrad to Budapest via Gdańsk, Warsaw and Kraków.
- 24 November 2016
The new stretch of road includes three road junctions, engineering structures such as overpasses, bridges and culverts allowing water to flow under the road. Preparation of sites for development of four service areas for road users is another aspect of the project.
Construction of acoustic screens and incorporation of passages for animals into bridge structures and culverts are also planned.
Increased comfort and accessibility
The main aim of the project is to create a section of road able to provide a high level of comfort for long-distance passenger travel. It should also increase transport accessibility within Poland and interregional connections through the Trans-European Transport Network.
In addition, the new stretch of road should help to improve conditions for transit traffic and contribute to road safety, particularly as its design in terms of technical and performance aspects takes account of projected traffic levels. Increased accessibility should have a positive effect on the economic development of the local area and reduce the environmental impact of road travel.
The new section of road also extends just over the border into Świętokrzyskie province, as far as the town of Skarzysko-Kamienna, but this part is not covered under the project.
A key transport link in an important province
The village of Orońsko, from where the new section begins, has over 2 000 inhabitants and lies around 15 km south-west of the city of Radom, which in turn is around 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw. With almost 220 000 inhabitants, Radom is the second largest city in the province of Mazovia, after Warsaw. Historically, it was an important centre of administration both under the early Kingdom of Poland, which existed from 1025-1385, and later in the union of Poland and Lithuania.
Mazovia is both the largest and most populous of Poland's 16 provinces or voivodeships, covering an area in excess of 35 000 km² and with more than 5 million inhabitants. Its prominence at national level serves to underline the importance of improving transport links in the province.
By contrast, Świętokrzyskie, with which the S7 links Mazovia, is Poland's second smallest province in area, at a little over 11 500 km², and its fourth smallest in terms of population, with under 1.3 million people. At close to 50 000 people, Skarzysko-Kamienna is the fourth largest town in the province. Its development came largely thanks to its position as an important railway junction.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “The construction of S7 express road Radom (Jedlińsk) - Jędrzejów, section Radom - Skarżysko-Kamienna” is EUR 220 228 078, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 101 771 627 through the “Infrastructure and Environment” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.