Driver angry about summer road repairs. Road workers respond to criticism

We get in the car. We are leaving town. Our thoughts are already on vacation, but after a dozen or more kilometers it turns out that you have to stand in a traffic jam.

– For a long time I have been adding at least an hour to the estimated length of the journey, because in recent months it has never occurred to me that I would not be stuck in a traffic jam due to roadworks. Recently, returning to Wroclaw from Olsztyn, I visited half of Poland’s Buffett region, when it turned out that I would have to spend several hours at first “7”, then “number one”. The same is true when I go south – says Piotr from Wroclaw.

“Why do they renew this road in the summer? They had so much time for that!” This question comes up like a bounce every year. Tragic struggle on the road. Everyone wants wide, comfortable and fast roads, but their creation causes frustration and traffic jams.

When planning a trip, it is best to make a list of places worth avoiding. According to information from GDDKiA, Piotr should avoid places such as: Building S7 between Płońsk and Napierki and between Tarczyn and Grójec. The national road “Seven” is the fastest and most comfortable road connecting southern Poland with the north. For residents of Wroclaw, the A4 motorway section is undergoing a renovation from Jura O. Anna to the county border. Opole and Silesia. But there are more such places on the map of Poland.

National roads alone are now being extended or renovated for nearly 250 km. You also have to remember that there are also county and territory routes.

However, planning a trip does not answer the question of whether road workers will be able to do the work in a way that in the summer does not drive drivers crazy.

– It must be remembered that road investments are often long-term projects and are not planned for “holidays”. Of course, we are trying to reduce the difficulties associated with building new roads or renovating existing ones – says GDDKiA spokesperson Simon Petchoviak. Some investments are also carried out in the so-called “new path”, ie without interfering with the existing surface.

– Does not affect existing roads. Let’s remember that all these works have a common goal, that is, to improve the safety and comfort of travel and to improve the safety of road users at risk – adds Shimon Petchoviak.

Working only in the spring, autumn and partially winter months is technologically impossible. In addition, there are also problems related to administrative and organizational matters.

Contractors strive to use as much as possible in favorable weather conditions and the length of the day. All work carried out “under traffic” each time requires an agreement, among other things, with the director of the road and the police – explains Krzysztof Jelonick, director of the Warsaw engineering district in Skanska.

– The contractor has an impact on the agenda in terms of the deadline specified in the contract, but the dates for signing the contract, and thus starting the works, are derived from the bidding procedures, which last from a few weeks to several months – he adds

It also happens that sometimes the entity that requested the construction contract indicates that it would like the contractor to perform as much work as possible outside the holiday season.

– The investor asked us to carry out as many works as possible from March to June during the construction work at Kijio Junction [droga A6 – red.]. We managed to do this. In the spring, we completed 20 percent. wash. Such situations happen quite often – says Budimex spokesperson, Michał Wrzosek.

What is the situation in the West? Holiday renovations aren’t just a Polish problem. – All London motorways have been made “smart”, they are connected to traffic jams and operate like dominoes. Traffic jams move to the following roads. Currently, the longest road works are on the M4. At 52 km, the maximum speed is 80 m / h, and even 50 m / h – says professional driver Łukasz Chludziński, who has been working in Great Britain for several years.

The pole also notes that in the UK a significant part of the work is carried out at night, which on the other hand opens roads, but at the same time the work takes a very long time. – The 150-kilometre M6 has been undergoing renovation since 2006. There are always robots somewhere at some point – Chludziński adds.

We asked the General Directorate of National Roads and Highways for a list of the most sensitive points on the road construction and repair map. If you have the chance, watch out for these places:

• Building A1 in the province of Silesia and Lodz;

• S5 building in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian province;

• Renovation of the Łódź Północ bridge at the junction of the A1 and A2;

• S7 building between Płońsk and Napierki and between Tarczyn and Grójec;

• A4 renewal begins (from August) in Góra św. Anna – the district border. Opole and Silesia.

• roof restoration in the city of Zakopyanka near Strozha (south of Mjölnice);

• change of traffic regulation on A4 in Węgrzyce Wielkie;

• DK28 Przemyśl – Medica;

• DK19 Nisko – Podgoros in the town of Kochis;

• DK16 near Orzysz;