A4 autostrada (Poland)

Autostrada A4
Route information
Part of
Length: 628.45 km (390.50 mi)
672 km (418 mi) planned
Major junctions
From: A4 - border Germany-Poland at Görlitz-Zgorzelec
 

A18 near Krzyżowa
S3 near Legnica (planned)
A8 near Wrocław
A1 near Gliwice
S1 near Mysłowice
S7 near Kraków

S19 near Rzeszów
To: border Poland-Ukraine at Korczowa-Krakovets - M10
Location
Major cities: Wrocław, Gliwice, Katowice, Kraków, Rzeszów
Highway system
National roads in Poland

The autostrada A4 in Poland is an east-west motorway that runs through southern Poland north of the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains, from the Polish-German border at Zgorzelec-Görlitz (connecting to the German A4 autobahn), bypassing Wrocław, Opole, Gliwice, Katowice, Kraków, Tarnów, Dębica and Rzeszów to the Polish-Ukrainian border at Korczowa-Krakovets. The motorway is a part of the European route E40. As of October 30, 2014 about 628.45 km (390.50 mi) of the motorway have been completed, out of the planned total length of 672 km (418 mi). The final section east of Rzeszów is currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2016.[1] The A4 parallels national road 94 (which connects with German Bundesstraße 6).

History of construction and plans for the future

Some western stretches of this motorway were initially built as a Reichsautobahn by Nazi Germany in the 1930s under her pre-war borders. After World War II and the takeover of Poland by the communist regime, with new borders, the existing roads received minimal maintenance and upgrades and became notorious for their poor quality, a phenomenon similar to that observed in East Germany. Extensive reconstruction, especially of the section between Legnica and Wrocław, has removed all traces of the old concrete road surface, but some aspects of 1930s standards of construction remain; for example, the aforementioned stretch does not have an emergency lane, a feature that is to be added in the future.

The section between Kraków and Katowice was built from the 1980s to 1996 and the section from Wrocław to Katowice between 2000 and 2005. In August 2009 construction of the last western part of the motorway from the border with Germany to the junction with A18 motorway was completed. Also completed in 2009 was the first portion of the motorway east of Kraków (ending on national road 75 junction, near Szarów).

The original plan was to finish the rest of the motorway by about 2013, but because of the UEFA decision to host the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship in Poland and Ukraine and the resulting need to improve the road infrastructure connecting the two countries, the date for opening the motorway to traffic was moved up to June 2012. This ambitious target was not attained after multiple delays, some caused by the floods of 2010.[2]

When finished in 2016 the A4 will be the first of the three major Polish motorways fully complete.

Sections of the motorway

Motorway section Length Constructed Note
Jędrzychowice (border) - Zgorzelec 1.7 km (1.1 mi) 19941996 heavy-load trucks only in 1994, all cars since 1996
Zgorzelec - Krzyżowa 50 km (31 mi) 20072009 opened 2009
Krzyżowa - Bielany Wrocławskie 99 km (62 mi) 19331937 repavement started in 90's finished 2006 without emergency lane
Bielany Wrocławskie - Przylesie(Brzeg) 40.7 km (25.3 mi) 19972000 single carriageway motorway built in 1936-1938; tolls since 1 June 2012
Przylesie(Brzeg) - Nogowczyce 84.5 km (52.5 mi) 20002003 some construction before 1945; tolls since 1 June 2012
Nogowczyce - Kleszczów 17.9 km (11.1 mi) 20012003 single carriageway motorway built in 1936-1942, it continued from Kleszczów into Gliwice and today that section is National Road 88, while modern motorway bypasses Gliwice to the south; tolls since 1 June 2012
Kleszczów - Katowice-Murckowska 43 km (27 mi) 19962005 parts opened 1996 - 2005; Kleszczów - Gliwice-Sośnica part tolled since 1 June 2012
Katowice-Murckowska - Balice 60 km (37 mi) 19831996 opened in parts 1983-1996, private operator and tolls since 2000
Balice - Szarów 44 km (27 mi) 19882009 first sections signed as motorway in 2002
Szarów - Tarnów 57 km (35 mi) 20102013 opened to traffic in November, 2012, in part with single carriegeway only.[3] Both carriageways were fully opened in May, 2013.[4]
Tarnów Północ - Dębica Wschód[5] 34.8 km (21.6 mi) 20102014 Opened Oct 30, 2014. Wisloka River viaduct (1.3 km) single carriageway only, the second carriageway opened a day later on Oct 31., 2014[6][7]
Dębica (interchange Dębica Wschód) - Rzeszów (Zachód)[8] 37 km (23 mi) 20102013 opened in October, 2013
Rzeszów (Zachód) - Rzeszów (Centralny)[9] 4.0 km (2.5 mi) 20102013 opened in October, 2013
Rzeszów (Centralny) - Rzeszów(Wschód)[10] 6.9 km (4.3 mi) 20102012 opened in September, 2012
Rzeszów(Wschód) - Jarosław[11] 41.2 km (25.6 mi) 20102016 originally planned to finish in 2012, delayed until 2014, then contractor abandoned the contract in January 2014 when 70% complete due to dispute with the government over financing. New contract was awarded in September,[12] with construction beginning in October 2014, with completion planned for May 2016.[13]
Jarosław - Radymno 24.5 km (15.2 mi) 20102013 Jarosław Wschód - Radymno: opened in May, 2013; Jarosław Zachód - Jarosław Wschód: opened in December, 2013.
Radymno - Korczowa[14] 22.6 km (14.0 mi) 20102013 originally planned to finish in 2012,[15] opened December 23, 2013[16]
Inscription made by Soviet soldiers in 1945: Водрузим над Берлином знамя победы (We shall hoist the flag of victory over Berlin); A4 west of Wrocław.
A4 west of Wrocław with repaved concrete surface
Gliwice-Sosnica A1 and A4 motorways and national road 44 junction near Gliwice - the largest motorway junction in Central-Eastern Europe, opened 2009-2010
A4 in Zabrze, opened 2005
A4 near Kraków (Zalas), opened 1980
A4 near Kraków, opened 2002-2003

Route description

Route
Number of exit, facility Kilometers
(1) (0) Border crossing PL-DE Jędrzychowice
(2) (1.8) Zgorzelec
Rest area(1) (7.8) Żarska Wieś, restaurant and motel eastbound, petrol station both ways
(3) (17.9) Godzieszów (access through DW296)
Parking area(1) (26) Czerna; parking only
(4) (44.6) Bolesławiec
Rest area(2) (46.2) Kraśnik Dolny(eastbound only), restaurant, motel and petrol station
(5) (49.8) Krzyżowa
(6) (56) Krzywa (secondary road to Szczytnica, restaurant and petrol station)
(7) (62) Krzywa
(8) (66.6) Jadwisin
(9) (73) Chojnów
Parking area(2) (76.6) near Strupice
(10) (79.9) Lubiatów
(11) (83.6) Złotoryja
(12) (91.9) Legnica S3(tender)
(13) (97) Legnickie Pole (exit and entrance only eastbound)
(14) (99.6) Mikołajowice
(15) (104.7) Wądroże Wielkie
(16) (112.1) Budziszów
(17) (115.9) Udanin
Rest area(3) (119.7) eastbound only; parking, restaurant, and shower facilities
(18) (120.1) Jarosław (Dolnośląskie)
(19) (120.6) Kostomłoty (heading to Bolków, Lubawka)
(20) (137.4) Kąty Wrocławskie
(21) (147.4) Pietrzykowice (access through
)
(22) (150.3) Wrocław-Południe
(23) (153.1) Bielany Wrocławskie
Toll booth(1) (156)
(24) (164.3) Wyjazd 164(no name)
(Krajków)
Parking area(3) (166)
(25) (178.5) Wyjazd 178(no name)
(Brzezimierz)
Rest area(4) (183.7) Witowice(restaurant)
(193.1) Entrance to wójewodstwo Opolskie
(26) (193.7) Wyjazd 194 (access through
),
(Przylesie)
Parking area(4) (200.3) Jankowice Wielkie(eastbound only)
Rest area(5) (218.7) Młyński Staw(Motel and petrol station)
(27) (222) Prądy
Parking area(5) (237.2) Przysiecz
(28) (244.1) Wyjazd 241(Dąbrówka)
(29) (251.2) Wyjazd 248(Krapkowice, Gogolin)
Rest area Góra Św. Anny(eastbound)/Wysoka(westbound)(6) (264.2) Shower,restaurant and petrol station
(30) (272.1) Wyjazd 269(Olszowa)
(31) (278) Nogowczyce (Wyjazd 275)
(281) Entrance to wójewodstwo śląskie
(32) (287.2) Łany (Wyjazd 287)
(33) (295.8) Kleszczów
Rest area(7) (299.7) Rachowice(restaurant, petrol station)
(34) (303.5) Gliwice - Ostropa
(35) (310.1) Gliwice - Bojków
Toll booth(2) (311.7) Gliwice
(36) (315.5) Gliwice - Sośnica
(37) (320.8) Ruda Śląska - Wspólna
(38) (324) Ruda Śląska - Wirek
Rest area(8) (326.9) Halemba (restaurant, petrol station and shower)
(39) (331.5) Chorzów - Batory (exit to Batorego str.)
(40) (334.1-335.6) Katowice - Mikołowska (through Mikołowska, brymowska and Kościuszki str., irregular form interchange[17])
(41) (337.2) Katowice - Francuska
(42) (339.5) Katowice - Murckowska
(43) (345.8) Mysłowice
(44) (348.7) Brzęczkowice
(from here to Balice I interchange concurrency with
)
Toll booth(3) (350.6) Mysłowice
(45) (359) Jaworzno - Jeleń
Rest area(9) (361.2) Zastawie(westbound)/Kępnica(eastbound)(petrol station, motel, TIR, restaurant, carwash)
(46) (364.6) Byczyna(entrance eastbound, exit westbound only), entrance to wójewodswo małopolskie
(47) (388.4) Balin
(48) (370.6) Chrzanów
(49) (380.9) Rudno, exit and entrance only eastbound
Rest area(10) (397.5) (petrol station, motel, restaurant, carwash)
Toll booth(4) (399.2) Kraków
(50) (400.2) Balice I
(north bypass, incomplete)
(51) (401.7) Balice II
(52) (406.4) Kraków - Mirowska
(53) (408.1) Kraków - Tyniec
(54) (411.6) Kraków - Sidzina
(55) (416.1) Zakopiańska S7(in faraway plans)
(56) (418.2) Kraków - Łagiewniki
(57) (424) Kraków - Wieliczka
(58) (427.3) Kraków - Bieżanów S7(under construction)
(59) (443.5) Szarów/Targowisko (indirect access to)
Rest area(11) (448.3) Kłaj(restaurant and petrol station)
(60) (457.1) Bochnia
(61) (466.9) Brzesko
(indirect access to through)
(62) (487.5) Tarnów Zachód
(63) (500.8) Tarnów Północ
(516.2) Entrance to wójewodstwo podkarpackie'
(64) (530.5) Dębica <Zachód
(65) (536.9) Dębica Wschód
(66) (551.6) Ropczyce - Sędziszów
Rest area(12) (564.9) Bratkowice, facilities(parking and toilet); further planned
(67) (570.3) Rzeszów Zachód
(68) (574.4) Rzeszów Północ
(69) (581.2) Rzeszów Wschód (from May 2016 )
(70) () Łańcut (under construction)
(71) () Przeworsk (under construction)
(72) (622.5) Jarosław< Zachód
(73) (631.7) Jarosław Wschód
(74) (646.7) Przemyśl
(75) (666.3) Korczowa
(670.2) Border checkpoint PL-UA Korczowa
Those interchanges signed in bold are in the toll road system existing now. Tose interchanges underlined are planned to become part of it(some progress was already made on it).

See also

References

External links

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