Opening of the Bystrzec/Strzyze Bridge

01.08.2002

July 31^st, 2002 at 11 a.m. was the opening celebration of the Bystrzec/Strzyze Bridge that provided a link between the streets of Swojska and Wislna. It replaced the old bridge with a single carriageway, which, at the end of the 1990s had presented a danger to the on-going traffic due to its bad technical condition. In 1999 a decision was made to launch the modernization of the bridge - the "Wybrzeze" Heat and Power Stations Group called upon the Municipality of Gdansk to start the bridge upgrading work as a part of the Local Investment Initiatives. The project also gained a support from the Port of Gdansk Authority SA brought about in view of the need to develop a road connection of an adequate bearing capacity with the Gdansk Container Terminal situated at the Szczecinskie Quay. In the wake of a three-sided agreement the upgrading work of the bridge was financially secured by the Port of Gdansk Authority SA, the Municipality of Gdansk and the "Wybrzeze" Heat and Power Stations Group. The contractor of the modernization project was the Gdansk Branch of the Plock Bridge Construction Company.

The opening celebration of the bridge was attended by, among the others, representatives of the contractor's company and officials from the Municipality of Gdansk, as well as representatives of the Port of Gdansk Authority SA and the "Wybrzeze" Heat and Power Stations Group. The newly modernized bridge was jointly opened by the Mayor of Gdansk - Pawel Adamowicz, President of the Board of the Port of Gdansk Authority SA - Marian Switek and President of the Board of the "Wybrzeze" Heat and Power Stations Group - Waldemar Dunajewski.

Commenced to operation, the bridge has a bearing capacity that had been designed in compliance with the European standards i.e. 50 tonnes. The bridge, though not significant in size, is located in a strategically crucial area - it provides a secure access to the Gdansk Container Terminal for container-carrying vehicles. Accomplishment of this investment project constitutes a subsequent step in the course of action consistently aimed at the expansion of the transportation infrastructure of the Port of Gdansk, and, in a longer term, with the view to diverting traffic flows from the city centre of Gdansk.