European Union financial support has made possible the building of a bypass around the city of Wałcz in Poland’s Zachodniopomorskie region, which forms part of the S10 express road and has a total length of 17.825 kilometres.
New bypass built around Wałcz, Poland to ease congestion
- 29 November 2017
The technical design and construction of the Wałcz bypass has been carried out in line with the applicable standards for express roads. The road is a dual carriageway, with two lanes plus an emergency lane on both sides of a central reservation.
Work also entails the building of four road junctions. These are situated at Wałcz Zachód (or west), Wałcz Północ (north), Wałcz Wschód (east) and Witankowo. Additional infrastructure installed under the project includes crossings for animals.
The entire length of the bypass is located within the comprehensive Trans-European Transport Network. It costs more than EUR 123.6 million to build, of which close to EUR 61 million is supplied from European Union funds.
Diverting traffic away from the centre
One of the principal benefits of the project is that it will divert transit traffic, including heavy freight traffic, away from the centre of Wałcz. Up until now, such traffic has often passed through the centre, causing congestion and effects such as atmospheric pollution. The bypass will help to ensure cleaner air and better living conditions for local residents.
Further advantages include the elimination of bottlenecks, enhanced mobility within the Zachodniopomorskie region and smoother, more comfortable journeys for long-distance traffic. Levels of road safety will improve thanks to the bypass, the operational parameters of which have been set in order to enable it to cope with forecasted rises in traffic volumes in the years to come.
Filling gaps in the road network
The project contributes to the completion of missing sections of the road network in general, and of the S10 express road in particular. The S10 is still under construction and when completed, it will be approximately 460 kilometres in length and run from the junction with the A6 motorway near the Baltic seaport of Szczecin, Poland’s seventh largest city, to the S7 express road close to the capital, Warsaw. It will also pass by both Bydgoszcz and Toruń, joint capitals of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region.
With a population of around 26 000, Wałcz is the county town of Wałcz county. It lies some 140 kilometres east of Szczecin and around 110 kilometres west of Bydgoszcz. The city contains two large lakes and has a forest close by, all of which are popular for sporting and recreational activities including kayaking, motor boating, jet skiing, biking and walking. The lakes have beaches, swimming areas and campsites dotted around their shores.
Wałcz is also an important road transport junction. In addition to the S10, the national road DK 22 from Kostrzyn and Odrą to Braniewo and two regional roads run through the city.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Construction of Wałcz by-pass in the course of S10 express road” is EUR 123 633 248, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 60 873 901 through the “Infrastructure and Environment” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.