We care about the quality of travel

The year 2023 was a period of intensive work on the concession section of the A2 motorway between Świecko and Konin. We have successfully completed the rehabilitation of more than 50 km of the A2 section, Toll Plazas, bridges and overbridges on the motorway, as well as one of the key interchanges for traffic – Poznań Zachód (West). Also, certain investments and projects related to reducing the carbon footprint were implemented. The year 2024 promises to be equally intense, with the construction of an additional, third lane between the Poznań Krzesiny and Poznań Wschód interchanges.

The A2 motorway is one of Poland’s key transportation routes. It is part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), one of the key links between Western and Central Europe and a strategic transport corridor for Poland in the Warsaw-Berlin axis.
Autostrada Wielkopolska, the 255-kilometer long concession section of the A2 between Świecko and Konin, experiences average daily traffic of 30,000 vehicles. Heavy vehicles contribute to a significant part of this traffic. Such high traffic volumes result in faster wear and tear of the pavement, triggering rehabilitation works. We have included such works in our long-term forecasts and heavy maintenance programs, we perform upgrading works before any damage to pavement occurs, to prevent drivers from noticing any negative difference in travel quality and to ensure traffic safety at the highest possible level.

More than one million square meters of new pavement

Despite 2023 having been a difficult year, in economic and business terms, we maintained a high standard of service and met the deadlines for rehabilitation works. We attach great importance to reliability and responsible management of infrastructure to ensure quality service and traffic safety. In 2023, we timely completed rehabilitation of the 50-kilometer pavement stretch in the section between Nowy Tomyśl and Poznań commenced the preceding year. In total, we have replaced more than one million square meters of new wearing course using highly modified HIMA asphalt which has improved strength. The works included not only the A2 mainline, but also rehabilitation of the Poznań Zachód (West) interchange which connects routes S5 and S11 to the A2 motorway.

Concurrently, we commenced rehabilitation works on an overbridge near Września (209 km A2) and on a bridge over the Bawół water course near Słupca (225 km A2). Those works will be resumed when the winter period ends. Thanks to the cooperation with the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways, those structures will be awarded a new MLC I load class. Completion of works has been scheduled for 2024.

To improve traffic safety and the comfort of motorists, we have also upgraded the entry lanes to certain Rest and Service Areas, pavement and canopies at Toll Plazas, and added 25 kilometers of new guardrails to improve traffic safety.

Environmentally friendly investments

We have been consistently implementing solutions that support sustainability, such as eco-friendly lighting and EV charging stations. In 2023, we completed the replacement of lighting fixtures, i.e., less efficient sodium fixtures were replaced by more eco-friendly LED fixtures along the entire stretch of the motorway and at the Rest and Service Areas. The hue and the optics of the LED fixtures cast all the light emitted onto the motorway, enhancing visibility, which translates into improved road safety. In addition, white light does not cause drivers’ eyesight to fatigue as quickly. Another advantage of LED fixtures is they contribute to environmental protection by reducing electricity demand by ca. 50% and causing less “light pollution” of the environment.

2023 was also the year of intensive work on the design and implementation of electric vehicle charging stations at Rest and Service Areas. Deployment of the charging stations will begin as early as the second quarter this year and will include the installation of 14 multi-station chargers for electric vehicles, including stations for heavy vehicles. Charging stations for electric heavy vehicles will be launched at the Chociszewo and Rogoziniec Service Areas.

Both the new lighting and increased number of EV charging stations are a token of our support for greener forms of transportation, helping reduce the carbon footprint. Last year, we also conducted a number of educational campaigns to draw drivers’ attention to eco-driving, proper operation of vehicles and use of the motorway, which helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

Automatic section speed control

In 2023, we purchased and deployed automatic speed control on the A2 section between the Poznań Krzesiny and Poznań Komorniki interchanges. This move was preceded by the arrangements with the General Inspectorate of Road Transport (GITD), which manages the CANARD system and whose responsibility is to record any violations, process and investigate them. The system was launched and handed over to GITD for management this February. It uses advanced speed measurement technology, enabling precise and effective monitoring of vehicle speeds along a given stretch.

The launching of the automatic section speed control system on the Poznań Bypass is intended to improve traffic safety and level of service, which belong f the priorities of Autostrada Wielkopolska.

Construction of the 3rd lane

On top of the multi-million worth and technologically challenging investments, in 2023 we continued parallel planning work for the construction of the 3rd lane in a ca. 10 km long section between the Poznań Krzesiny and Poznań Wschód (East) interchanges. The construction of an additional third lane in that section is intended to improve level of service and ensure smooth, safe and comfortable trip in the A2 concession section.

Having regard to the needs of motorists and traffic safety, we commenced our work related to the construction of an additional third lane in another 10 km section of the Poznań Bypass well in advance, so as to provide motorists with a ready-made, well-conceived and well-prepared service, as the implementation of this investment is meant to contribute to smooth and safe trip, explains Sebastian Joachimiak, member of the Management Board of Autostrada Wielkopolska S.A.

This project will be much more challenging in technical terms than the recent widening of the A2 Poznań Zachód – Poznań Krzesiny section. It provides for a much larger scope of earthworks, it requires, among other things, widening the entire length of the pavement from the outside in both directions. In parallel with the widening, the existing carriageways will be rehabilitated and underground and above-ground infrastructure will be reconstructed. As part of individual phases of works, additional works in the area of the Poznań Wschód and Poznań Luboń interchanges have also been planned. On top of that, two motorway bridges will be widened and rehabilitated.

The work has been phased and scheduled to be performed under traffic, without closing the motorway. As in the case of the previous third lane construction on A2 completed six months ahead of schedule, also this time we will do our best to keep the works progress smoothly, on time and with as little inconvenience to drivers as possible. If everything goes according to plan, the 3rd lane in both directions on the A2 section between the Poznań Krzesiny and Poznań Wschód interchanges will be completed by the end of 2025.

The Poznań Bypass is the busiest section on the A2 concession, with an average daily traffic volume of 90,000 vehicles. During the holiday months, traffic volumes exceeded 110,000 vehicles per day in this stretch on certain days. It is worth noting that about three-fourths of this traffic are vehicles entering this concession section coming from the S11 and S5 expressways, as well as from urban arterial roads and using the bypass free of charge.