The EU is helping to finance the construction of a stretch of Poland’s S7 express road between the village of Lubień and the town of Rabka-Zdrój (commonly known as Rabka). The road is located in the Małopolskie region, in the south of the country.
New section of S7 express road under construction in southern Poland
- 30 March 2018
The Lubień to Rabka section of the S7 is to be a 15.83 km dual carriageway, with two lanes and an emergency lane on either side of a central reservation. The road also includes three uphill sections which will have three lanes on each carriageway, as well as a tunnel 2 km in length.
The project also includes the construction of a new 877 m stretch of national road 47 between Rabka and the village of Chabówka, which links the S7 with national road 47.
As the road runs through a mountainous area, the construction of several important engineering structures constitutes a large part of the work. These include long viaducts and overpasses, in addition to the tunnel, and this explains the relatively high budget compared with many road-building projects. The total cost stands at approximately EUR 567.5 million, of which in excess of EUR 303.5 million is supplied through the EU’s Cohesion Fund.
An integral part of Europe’s transport network
The section of road is expected to come into operation in December 2020. It forms part of the comprehensive Trans-European Transport network, the development of which is a key priority for the EU.
When it is completed, Rabka will mark the southern end of the S7, which will be 720 km in total length and start in the north at the junction with the S6 express road, near Gdańsk on the Baltic Sea coast. Heading southwards, it will subsequently pass by Elbląg, Poland’s capital Warsaw, Radom, Kielce and Kraków, the country’s second-largest city.
The S7 is part of European route E77, which runs from Pskov in Russia as far as the Hungarian capital, Budapest. The E77 links a number of important urban centres, including Kaliningrad, administrative centre of Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea, as well as Gdańsk, Warsaw and Kraków.
Economic development and quality of life
Both the section of the S7 and that of national road 47 have been designed in such a way as to be able to cope with projected increases in traffic volumes in the years to come. This will help to ensure fast and efficient connections for both national and international traffic, which is the primary objective of the project.
By contributing to the creation of a more efficient, safe and sustainable transport system, the project will help to shorten journey times, reduce numbers of road accidents and cut traffic congestion and resulting pollution of the environment. It thus supports the economic development of the Małopolskie region and of Poland as a whole, as well as improving quality of life for local residents and road users from further afield.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Construction of the S7 express road, section Lubień – Rabka” is EUR 567 519 169, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 303 594 750 through the “Infrastructure and Environment” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.