The large 1 chokes in traffic. This is simply a brutal fact, which is the consequence of long-term infrastructure negligence and besides rapid, uncontrolled growth in housing. The city has become a hostage to its own popularity as the bedroom of Krakow, and the current road strategy simply is incapable to accept specified a number of cars. According to some, the solution to the Vile traffic could be the S7 way in the east variant. But remember, Wieliczka already has an east bypass. The real, unresolved problem remains the Western side. And here we should consider the following proposal, which alternatively of costly linear investments, focuses on the clever usage of existing resources.
Concept: Bypass West under the highway
The key to unlocking the southwestern part of the territory is not the construction of an express way by urbanised areas, but the wise usage of infrastructure that already exists. An interesting feature of the task is the existing culvert under the A4 motorway within the Malinówka creek, with a light of 10 metres, which could be utilized under the road.
For comparison, the Z (collective) road, i.e. the standard of the region or provincial road, requires only 6 meters of road for 2 lanes. The pass so gives not only the minimum required, but besides the supply to the side or protective barriers. There is no request to build a sidewalk – it is simply a route, not a city street. The most costly component of a typical bypass – crossing the road – is already ready and does not make any investment costs.
Why does that make sense?
Adapting alternatively of building: utilizing the existing A4 culvert avoids building the most costly component of any bypass – a fresh overpass over the highway.
The natural corridor: the way is about 4 kilometres long and uses the Malinówka creek area and undeveloped areas at the border of Kraków and Wieliczka communes in the Baryczy area, which minimizes expropriations. Most of the corridor is not intended for housing in existing planning, which makes booking a real site today.
Liquidity of traffic: the task assumes a way from the junction with the territory road in Rzeczeczów with a maximum of 3 intersections – at Sadowa Street, Krzyszkowice Street and a roundabout behind the A4 motorway at Kosocicka Street. It's not expected to be another street with slowing thresholds, but a fast connection to keep a constant cruising speed.
Grip in existing network – key to success
The way does not require the construction of fresh infrastructure on the Krakow side. Kosocicka Street is already a smooth connection to the Wieliczka Node on A4 and Krakowska Street, 1 of the main arteries leading to the centre of Krakow. This means that the fresh section immediately after the construction becomes a functional part of the road network – not a dead end waiting for further investments. The Rondo on connection to Kosocice Street will guarantee safe and smooth movement.
Real benefits
This way is simply a rescue for commuters from Koźmic Wielkie, Rzeczow or Grabówek, or Dobczyc direction. Thousands of cars are now being pushed into the narrow throats in the center of Wieliczka.
Thanks to the merger with Kosocicka Street in Kraków:
- We cut the transit from the centre – traffic from the direction Dobczyc (DW 964) goes straight to Krakow, without entering Wieliczka at all.
- We are recovering Krakowska Street – less cars entering from the south are smaller traffic jams for those inhabitants of Wieliczka, who actually gotta usage the main arteries of the city.
- Jumping time savings – it will take little than 3 minutes to pass the fresh 4 km section. Today, in the morning, passing a akin distance through the centre of Wieliczka is frequently 20-30 minutes in traffic.
Additional effect: revival of investment sites in Baryczy
Building a bypass is not just a benefit for drivers. Wieliczka Municipality has a full of over 20 hectares of land in this area, any of which already have a service usage in the MPZP and any could be converted. Today, these areas are poorly communicated and thus practically impossible to manage by a serious investor. Good communication service changes this image diametrically – location at the bypass with direct access to the A4 node is simply a product that will interest the biggest players in the logistics and warehouse market.
Moreover, the city of Kraków besides owns on its side of the border areas on Baryczy, which present lie a waste. The bypass would open up the anticipation of their development, which gives Krakow a measurable financial interest in co-financing the investment.
Financing: a task that is justified by itself
The estimated investment cost is PLN 50–100 million. It's a serious amount, but it's spread out to quite a few partners – each of whom has its own, measurable interest – it becomes real to bear:
Wieliczka Municipality could contribute through the distribution of service land valued at around PLN 20 million (10 ha of 20 thousand) – without involving cash from the budget. A logistics investor of kind 7R, Panattoni or InPost, curious in purchasing a game on a fresh road, could add another PLN 5-10 million as a participation in infrastructure costs – this is simply a standard practice with this kind of locations. The city of Kraków, as a beneficiary of the deburring of the road network and the possible host of fresh investment sites in Barycz, has an argument to sit at the table as co-financing. Wielicki region and Małopolska state would close financing as the politician of the regional road DW 964. GDDKiA, for which this bypass provides a real safety valve for the regularly paralyzed Wielicki node on A4, should besides be a organization to the talks.
It's not a task looking for a sponsor. It's a task in which all curious individual has a measurable financial and political benefit to sit at the table.
Challenge: Retention tanks and negligence price
Admittedly, the concept is not free from obstacles. In fresh years the Malinówka creek valley has built retention tanks for Krakow, which interfere with the optimal course of the route. It's a real complication that requires plan analysis and most likely a correction of the course of the road in this passage.
However, it is worth saying it out loud: this collision is the consequence of the long-term negligence of the Western bypass. If the road corridor had been booked in the improvement plans prior to that, the reservoirs would have been built elsewhere or with a future road in mind. present we are paying the price of deficiency of planning imagination – and this is another argument for not delaying the entry of this corridor in planning papers before further collisions occur.
Time is against it.
Each year of hold is fresh settlements, fresh reservoirs, fresh investments closing the road corridor for decades to come. The Western bypass of Wieliczka is not a task for the future – it is simply a task that should have been created long ago. Now the point is not to miss the last chance to implement it.
What about S7?
The implementation of variant E from Node Tuchowska is the most cost-effective version of the Kraków-Myślenice section. In this option there are the least demolitions and the full cost is estimated at about PLN 2 billion, compared to 4 billion in another variants. These savings of GDDKIA could be utilized to support the construction of the mentioned western ringing road Wieliczka, the link DK94 with the Biezjan node to A4 or further conversion of DK94 to collising intersections, especially with the provincial road – Niepołomska Street. Surely, the benefits of specified allocation of public funds would be more advantageous to everyone than the very costly and poorly sensible construction of the S7 from the Biezany Node through the East of Wieliczka and the area of Dobczyc, with a tiny number of knots on the way to Myślenice.
