The signing of the fourth and final contract for the expansion of the A2 motorway between Łódź and Warsaw paves the way for the start of construction work. Contractors no longer have to wait for the removal of formal obstacles that prevented the project from launching. The completion of tender procedures and court disputes allowed for the finalization of contracts covering the expansion of the over 92-kilometer route. The total cost of this major infrastructure investment is approximately 1.3 billion PLN, making it one of the most important road projects in the region in the coming years.
Scope and value of the investment
The construction works will cover a total of 92 kilometers of the route, of which 89 km involves the direct construction of additional lanes. The remaining 3 km relate to works carried out at the Łódź Północ junction, where the A2 motorway crosses the A1. At this specific location, the carriageway already has three lanes in each direction, so there is no need to build new carriageways. Instead, the replacement of the old surface and the installation of energy-efficient road lighting systems are planned. The values of the individual contracts vary depending on the length and complexity of the section. The largest of them, with a length of nearly 28 km (the Łódź Północ – Łowicz section), was awarded to the company Budimex and is worth over 453 million PLN. The remaining three sections will be executed by Strabag.
The section from the regional border to the Grodzisk Mazowiecki junction (25.5 km) was valued at nearly 345 million PLN, and the contract for its execution was signed on September 11. The next fragment, running from the Łowicz junction to the border of the Łódź and Masovian voivodeships (nearly 22 km), is worth just over 295 million PLN; the contract was signed on August 21. The shortest of these three, the Grodzisk Mazowiecki – Konotopa section, is worth 231 million PLN, and its contract was concluded on June 24. Although each of these contracts had its own separate tender history, they are united by one goal: increasing the capacity of one of the most heavily burdened communication routes in Poland.
Schedule and traffic organization
The deadlines for completing the individual stages of the investment are strictly defined and vary depending on the section. The earliest, by the end of 2027, works are to be completed on the Łowicz – regional border and Grodzisk Mazowiecki – Konotopa sections. The section from the regional border to Grodzisk Mazowiecki is to be handed over for use in January 2028. The latest, in April 2028, the completion of works is planned for the section closest to Łódź (Łódź Północ – Łowicz).
To minimize inconvenience for drivers, very ambitious and short deadlines for the execution of works have been adopted. The contractor for the first contract is already finishing adaptation works on the infrastructure adjacent to the motorway. This involves the modernization of the Wiskitki (A2/DK50), Opacz (S2/S8), Warszawa Zachód (S8/DK92), and Mszczonów (S8/DK50) junctions, as well as two intersections on the Sochaczew bypass (DK50). The goal of these actions is to increase the capacity of access roads, which will take over part of the traffic from the main route during the construction period. Actual works on the main section of the motorway are to start next month, after the introduction of temporary traffic organization, including the setting up of barriers, vertical and horizontal signage.
A key element of the project is maintaining traffic flow. Despite the works being carried out, two lanes of traffic will be available in both directions (towards Warsaw and Poznań) every day. This solution aims to ensure smooth passage and avoid serious disruptions to communication between the capital and the center of the country. Additionally, sectional speed measurement is planned to be implemented during construction, which is intended to improve the safety of road users.
Justification and benefits for the region
The need to expand the A2 motorway stems from the current traffic level. The route was opened for use in June 2012. According to data from the General Traffic Measurement, the daily vehicle intensity on this section ranges from about 60,000 cars in the vicinity of Łódź to almost 100,000 in the Warsaw area. The capacity of the existing infrastructure is close to the maximum, which forced the necessity of increasing the number of lanes. Designers foresaw such a scenario at the construction stage, leaving an appropriate land reserve and executing engineering structures, such as overpasses, with a margin for future expansion.
The investment also has a significant ecological dimension. The expanded section of A2 is to be the first motorway section in Poland that is energy self-sufficient. All road infrastructure, including lighting and meteorological stations, will be powered exclusively by renewable energy sources (RES). For this purpose, energy storage facilities, among other things, will be used. Such a solution is intended to serve as a model for future similar infrastructure projects in the country. The expansion of the motorway will bring benefits not only to individual drivers but also to entrepreneurs in the transport industry, facilitating faster and safer access to key logistical objects, such as Port Polska.