Poland’s most beautiful bypass is open

Budimex has commissioned a six-kilometre-long Wałbrzych bypass. The bypass runs in the mountainous area of the Wałbrzyskie Mountains at around 500 metres above sea level and allows the city centre to be bypassed along national road No. 35 (Polish border – Wrocław). The investors are: The city of Wałbrzych and the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways Branch in Wrocław. The investment is co-financed with European Union funds.

The Wałbrzych bypass is a dual-carriageway road with three junctions: Niepodległości roundabout; Żeromskiego junction; Reja junction. Three flyovers were built along the route: flyover No. 5 (roundabout), flyover No. 6 (Żeromskiego street), flyover No. 7 (Reja street). The longest of the structures is 180 metres long. Budimex has also constructed a subway on Żeromskiego street. A footbridge over the bypass in the area of Dr Oczki and św. Kingi streets and three frame culverts on the Szczawnik stream.

The construction was very demanding for the general contractor. Under the road under construction, there was unknown post-mining infrastructure – the Gustaw shaft and Lisia Sztolnia. These required design changes and a lot of additional work to strengthen and secure the new bypass, says Cezary Łysenko, Director of Budimex’s Infrastructure Construction Division.

The construction used: 750,000 tonnes for embankments, 80,000 tonnes of asphalt mix, over 2,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel and over 19,000 cubic metres of concrete. The task also included the reconstruction of 16 existing streets.

We were also uncovering the remnants of the historical urban and industrial infrastructure – tracks, old road ducts, foundations and power poles supplying non-existing industrial plants – These circumstances were the biggest reason why construction took a year longer than planned. Despite this, we completed the work within the final contractual deadline, i.e. before 21 November, adds Cezary Łysenko.

Construction began in April 2019. The cost of the investment was: PLN 397 million net.

See the video on Youtube: Wałbrzych bypass