Skip to main content

Poland finally completes the cross-country A4 Autostrada

Poland officially opened the 672km A4 Autostrada that runs through southern Poland from the border with Germany to that with the Ukraine. The motorway passes through major Polish cities including Wrocław, Katowice and Kraków.
September 6, 2016 Read time: 1 min

Poland officially opened the 672km A4 Autostrada that runs through southern Poland from the border with Germany to that with the Ukraine.

The motorway passes through major Polish cities including Wrocław, Katowice and Kraków.

Work started in the mid-1980s on various sections and continued piecemeal over the years. In the 1990s, after political change to a more open market economy, plans proceeded to finish the route by 2013.

The completion date was moved forward after Poland became joint host, along with Ukraine, of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship. There was an urgency to complete road infrastructure projects, according to a report by Radio Poland.

 But a June 2012 date to open the route proved too ambitious and then further delays, including some caused by major floods in 2010, pushed back the completion date.

There is still some work to do on two motorway services that likely will be ready by the end of October.

Related Content

  • Zimbabwe key road link rebuild
    March 29, 2019
    Construction activity now looks set to recommence on Zimbabwe’s important Harare to Bulawayo road upgrade project.
  • Ambitious road tunnelling projects around the world
    November 29, 2013
    The construction of the world’s longest subsea road tunnel in Norway and a vital new link under the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey are among a host of exciting, major road tunnel-based projects currently being undertaken across the globe. Guy Woodford reports Sandvik DTi series tunnelling jumbos are being used for the excavation of Solbakktunnel, set to become the world’s longest subsea road tunnel.
  • Poland: tendering for Lodz's Western Ring-Road attracts 17 offers
    February 10, 2017
    The tender for Lodz's €372 million Western Ring-Road (Zachodnia Obwodnica Lodzi) has attracted 17 bidders, according to Polish media. Construction has been split into two parts: a 12.2km section between the Lodz-Lublinek junction and the Lodz Teofilow junction and a section of 16.3km section from Lodz Teofilow to Slowik, excluding the Emilia junction. Budimex has reportedly made the lowest offer in both contract contests. Polish media also reported that €530 million from the European Union’s Cohesi
  • East Africa’s dream of a ‘Silk Road’ in sight
    October 22, 2021
    East Africa’s dream of a ‘Silk Road’ route to boost trade and transport is now in sight