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.

Finance & Funding

Related Content

  • Deal struck for Poland's A2 highway
    February 27, 2012
    Work on two sections of Poland's A2 highway originally planned to be built by the Chinese COVEC will now be constructed by two consortia.
    Read More
  • Brisbane's highway of distinction
    August 2, 2012
    A massive AU$2 billion update of the Gateway Motorway in Queensland is underway to improve an infrastructure stretched by population boom. Report and photographs by Adrian Greeman Just 20 years after the Australian city of Brisbane built its Gateway Motorway with a high slim signature bridge dominating the river skyline, the road is being completely revamped. Some 12km of urban route on the south of the Brisbane River is being expanded to take much increased traffic levels; the north is getting a completely
    Read More
  • Polish road authority GDDKiA will re-tender for the S14
    May 12, 2017
    The Polish ministry of infrastructure announced that it will retender for building the last 27km section of the Expressway S14 around Lodz. Poland’s road authority GDDKiA said it was not satisfied with the offers it had received during the tender. They were higher than the budget by around €59 million, reaching upwards of €487 million. Local governments reportedly fear that construction delays could disrupt the Specialised Expo from June to September, 2022 if the city of Lodz were to be chosen. The wining c
    Read More
  • Russia's key highway development project
    February 8, 2012
    One of the largest construction programmes in Europe is being carried out to get a Russian resort ready for the Winter Olympics. Patrick Smith reports
    Read More

Highlighted Content