Gdansk opens up to the sea

04.12.2012

On November 30th 2012, the hosts of Pomerania together with Slawomir Nowak, the Minister of Transport, Construction and Maritime Economy expressed their satisfaction with the launch of another road project around Gdansk Port. Both Mieczyslaw Struk, Marshal of the Region of Pomerania and Andrzej Bojanowski, Gdansk Vice-President reminded everyone the significance of having sea access, as the development of a seaport, causing industrial and commercial centres to develop, generates profit increase for all business trading participants. Impressive solutions such as collision free interchanges will, however, serve not only the economic development of the region and the country. Linking Slowackiego and Sucharskiego Routes through Obwodnica Poludniowa (Southern Ring Road) with A1 Motorway will also be noticed by the citizens of the Gdansk area, since when these tasks are completed, and the tunnel under the Martwa Wisla (Dead Vistula) is constructed, it will enable trucks collecting maritime cargo to avoid city streets.

The communication project of PLN 2.5 billion total value has received substantial funding from the European Union. Minister S. Nowak brought to Gdansk a document confirming funding increase by another 250 million. Such a refund of expenditure will allow Gdansk authorities to "defrost" projects relating to revitalisation of Dolne Miasto district, or the construction of a tram line to Morena district. It will also allow for the commencement of "suspended" repairs and modernisations of many roads and schools.

The scope of the "communication make-over" around Gdansk port has been divided into three stages. The construction of a section from Wos Budzysz Interchange to Ku Ujsciu Interchange, which has just been completed (task 2), was preceded by the construction of a road linking Ku Ujsciu Interchange with Westerplatte Ferry & Passenger Terminal (task 3). The works (task 1) enabling one to reach an interchange in Elblaska St. travelling from Obwodnica Poludniowa are nearly complete. The express, one might say, construction of an over 8-kilometre modern road comprising e.g. truck weighing stations and difficult road structures including a 400-metre flyover above railway tracks, is to be commissioned by the end of the year. Iwona Zygowska, Vice-president of Gdanskie Inwestycje Komunalne (company supervising the construction works) asserted that the use of the entire Sucharskiego and Slowackiego Routes will be possible at the beginning of 2015.

During the recent City Plus - Congress, when professor Dariusz Filar was asked about priorities that should dominate Gdansk and Pomerania development strategy, he indicated, without a second thought, the need to create ever stronger relations with other Baltic centres. Bonds linking the countries of Baltic Europe (understood as an idea developed 50 years ago by Jerzy Zaleski and Czeslaw Wojewodka) are natural motors of the economies of our sea-bordering regions. The location of the city, developed around Gdansk port, Alan Aleksandrowicz the President of Gdansk Economic Development Agency investGDA often emphasises, is conducive to the development of science and implementation of new technologies, as well as to the realisation of investments absorbing EU funds, and finally - to the improvement of the quality of life, and creation of the so-called "leisure industry". We may be certain that the port-related investments realised today, will yield profit for many years to come.

Janusz Kasprowicz
PGA SA PR Officer