Obwodnica Trójmiejska
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Obwodnica Trójmiejska (Obwodnica Trójmiasta), (Tricity Beltway) - is an expressway that bypasses the cities of Gdynia, Sopot and Gdańsk. The beltway runs north to south from Gdynia to Pruszcz Gdański and is 38.6 km long. It is currently the only constructed section of the S6 expressway which will eventually run from Szczecin to Gdańsk. It is also part of the European route E28.
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[edit] History
Construction started in the 1970s and the first section was opened for use in 1977. Due to a lack of funds during the 1980s construction was delayed many times. The fall of communism in 1990 also slowed down construction. Major sections of the beltway were completed in 2001 with the last two major junctions finished in 2008.
The various stages were constructed in the following years:
- 1973-1977 — Northbound lanes Gdynia - Pruszcz Gdański
- 1978-1984 — Southbound lanes Gdynia - Straszyn
- 1987-1989 — Kowale Junction
- 1994-1996 — Wysoka Junction
- 2000-2001 — Southbound lanes Straszyn - Juszkowo
- 2002-2003 — Road maintenance and resurfacing
- 2006-2007 — Connection to the A1 motorway
- 2006-2008 — Junction with Trasa Kwiatkowskiego
[edit] Transport infrastructure
The beltway is an important piece of infrastructure in the Pomeranian Voivodeship because it eases congestion through the center of the Tricity area as well as diverting transit traffic. The beltway connects Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport with the rest of the Voivodeship and is an integral part of the Tricity economy, helping boost future growth in the region.
The Obwodnica Trójmiejska is also one of only a few orbital, beltway and ring roads bypassing major cities in Poland. Cities such as Warsaw, Wrocław and Łódź lack a bypass causing transit traffic to go right through the city center causing frustration among the local population, increased congestion, environmental damage and pollution. The Polish government intends to finish construction on many of the major expressways and motorways that will criss cross the country and bypass major cities by the year 2013.
[edit] Road conditions
The beltway is currently in good condition compared to many of the major roads in Poland. The fact that the expressway is relataviely new and modernized make it one of the best roads in Poland today. There are two lanes in each direction and in some places a third lane is available during curved and uphill sections.
The roads are cleared regularly during heavy snowfall which can be a hazard during winter. Overall, the road is much safer than other roads in the region although accidents do tend to happen due to speeding.
[edit] Current developments
A new junction connecting the south end of the Tricity Beltway to the A1 motorway has been completed on 22 December, 2007. It currently enables travel up to Tczew using a motorway, and when the A1 is completed it will connect Gdańsk, through Toruń, Łódź and Katowice to the Czech border in the south. The A1 motorway is planned to be completed in 2010.
On June 12th 2008 Trasa im.Eugeniusza Kwiatkowskiego is completed and finally connects the Port of Gdynia to the Beltway, bypassing the local city streets. This will reduce truck traffic in residential areas greatly since currently all heavy trucks heading towards the port use DK6 which goes through the center of the city.
From 2006 onwards, the junction with ul.Morska in Gdynia is being modernized in order to smoothen traffic congestion on the DK6 national road.
The final location of the S6 expressway is still being evaluated although it is likely to connect roughly midway through the beltway. This will cause the northern part of the beltway to be renumbered from the junction with the S6 to ul.Morska in Gdynia. Construction of the S6 is not intended to be started for a number of years because of more critical routes that need to be constructed first.
There are plans to create a so-called Tricity corridor by modernizing existing roads and building new ones. National roads 20 and 7 will be modernized with some new sections to bypass towns and the planned S6 will complete the corridor. The A1 motorway from the end of the beltway to Torun should be completed by 2010 with the remainder from Torun to the Czech border due to be finished by 2011 giving the residents of the Pomerania Voivodship their first access to the Polish and European motorway network.
[edit] See also
- Beltway
- E28
- A1
- Tricity
- Gdańsk
- Sopot
- Gdynia
- Poland
- Roads and expressways in Poland
- Transport in Poland
