The Road and Bridge Research Institute recognized the flyover at Zawiszy Square in Warsaw as needing urgent repair already in 2002. Reconstruction is still postponed.
Trams and cars on top, rust and defects below – this is how the Towarowa flyover over the railroad line running along Jerozolimskie Avenue looks like when viewed from the side. The flyover has been waiting for renovation for many years, although road engineers already have a building permit and a design.
When will Towarowa Street be renovated?
Towarowa is one of the busiest streets in Warsaw, and the alternatives are equally crowded Prymasa Tysiąclecia and Jana Pawła II avenues, or narrow Żelazna. Reconstruction of the viaduct will result in gigantic difficulties and successive presidents of the city blame the problem on their successors. During the presidency of Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, first there was the economic crisis, and then the construction of the subway station at the Daszyńskiego traffic circle began, which caused great difficulties in the whole area. In turn, during Rafał Trzaskowski’s presidency, we have in parallel an epidemic, another economic crisis, renovation of the tunnel of the Prymas Tysiąclecia route and finally the refugee crisis. Regardless of this, the local government is waiting for the railroads to start renovating the tracks running under the flyover.
The construction permit is still valid,” assures Jakub Dybalski, a spokesman for the Municipal Road Authority. – We are keeping an eye on this validity, because even though the changes in the track layout will force a different shape of the object than the one in the reconstruction documentation, which we have, we have to be secured in case PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe (Polish Railways) withdraws from the reconstruction of the cross-town line for some reason. This is of course only an emergency option.
It all depends on the railroaders
According to the spokesman of road workers, the viaduct will be wider after reconstruction. ZDM assures that it is constantly monitoring its technical condition. It is not perfect, of course, but in the nearest future it should not deteriorate so much that it would be necessary to close a part of Towarowa Street.
We are in the process of developing an agreement with PKP PLK which will specify the financial engagement of both parties in specific elements of the investment,” says Dybalski. – Only then will it be possible to talk about the amount which needs to be secured. Obviously, it is clear in the city hall that such an expense will be necessary in the nearest future and the money must be found. Reconstruction of the cross-city line is not a surprise. We know that this part of the cross-city line will be rebuilt as one of the first, so we assume that it will start in 2024.
Source: Tu Stolica
