A section of Poland’s S5 express road, running from the border between the Kujawsko-Pomorskie and Wielkopolskie regions, close to the village of Mielno, to the country’s historical capital, Gniezno in the Wielkopolskie region, has been completed with support from EU funding. Eventually this part of the S5, which is still under construction, will connect A1 highway near Grudziądz city with A2 highway near Poznań. As a result of the work, road users will benefit from a safe road which is comfortably able to accommodate long-distance traffic travelling at high speeds.
- 02 October 2017
The express road built thanks to the project is 18.33 km in length. It is a dual carriageway with two lanes on either side of a central reservation.
Technical and operational parameters of the road have been adapted and missing infrastructure elements supplied. This should eliminate bottlenecks and enable the road to cope with forecasted increases in traffic volumes, as well as improving conditions for transit traffic and raising levels of road safety.
Improved links with trans-European networks
The S5 is located within the comprehensive Trans-European Transport Network up to its junction with the A1 motorway, near the city of Grudziądz, some 130 km north-east of Gniezno. An additional benefit of the project is the link that it provides between the new section of road and the existing network. These improve the accessibility of the Trans-European Transport Network and road connections in Poland in general.
By increasing the efficiency of road transport, the project helps to ensure smoother flows of people and goods within and between Poland’s regions, and internationally. This supports economic and social development and fosters a higher degree of territorial cohesion.
The road also takes traffic away from the city of Gniezno, thereby cutting congestion. As a result, levels of air pollution within the urban area will fall and standards of living for residents will rise.
A road connecting several important cities
When it is complete, the S5 will be around 400 km long and run from the A8 motorway near Wrocław, Poland’s fourth-largest city and capital of the Dolnośląskie region, to the junction with the S7 express road, close to the town of Ostróda in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie region. It will also pass by the cities of Poznań and Bydgoszcz, the fifth and eighth largest in the country respectively.
Gniezno was one of the chief cities under the Piast dynasty, Poland’s first historical dynasty which ruled the country from the 10th to the 14th centuries. Its cathedral was the site of the coronations of several Polish kings and, with around 70 000 inhabitants, it remains an important centre for culture and tourism and Poland’s ecclesiastical capital.
Żnin has a population of just over 14 000 and is located on the Gąsawka river, between two lakes. Both lakes and the nearby forests are popular tourist attractions.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Construction of S5 express road Żnin-Gniezno, section Mielno-Gniezno” is EUR 132 856 519, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 71 370 528 through the “Infrastructure and Environment” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.