Obwodnica Trójmiejska
Encyclopedia
Obwodnica Trójmiejska (Obwodnica Trójmiasta), (Tricity Beltway) – is part of S6 express road
Expressway S6 (Poland)
Expressway S6 or express road S6 is a major road in Poland which has been planned to run from the A6 autostrada at Goleniów in West Pomerania to Gdańsk parallel to the Baltic coast, forming the main connection between Gdańsk and Szczecin.At present, the only significant section of S6 that has been...

 that bypasses the cities of Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...

, Sopot
Sopot
Sopot is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000....

 and Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...

. The beltway runs north to south from Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...

 to Pruszcz Gdański
Pruszcz Gdanski
Pruszcz Gdański is a town in Gdańsk Pomerania, northwestern Poland with 26834 inhabitants . Pruszcz Gdański is an industrial town neighbouring Gdańsk, part of the Tricity agglomeration...

 and is 38.6 km (24 mi) long. Together with the Słupsk bypass, it forms a part of the S6 expressway
Expressway S6 (Poland)
Expressway S6 or express road S6 is a major road in Poland which has been planned to run from the A6 autostrada at Goleniów in West Pomerania to Gdańsk parallel to the Baltic coast, forming the main connection between Gdańsk and Szczecin.At present, the only significant section of S6 that has been...

 which will eventually run from Szczecin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....

 to Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...

. It is also part of the european route E28
European route E28
European route E 28 is a west-east intermediate road in the international E-road network. Beginning at the Berliner Ring in Germany, it runs for a length of to Minsk, Belarus.-Route:Germany* Berlin* PrenzlauPoland* Szczecin* Goleniów* Koszalin...

.

History

Construction started in the 1970s and the first section was opened for use in 1977. Due to a lack of funds during the 1980s construction was delayed many times. The fall of communism in 1990 also slowed down construction. Major sections of the beltway were completed in 2001 with the last two major junctions finished in 2008.

The various stages were constructed in the following years:
  • 1973-1977: northbound lanes Gdynia – Pruszcz Gdański
  • 1978-1984: southbound lanes Gdynia – Straszyn
  • 1987-1989: Kowale Junction
  • 1994-1996: Wysoka Junction
  • 2000-2001: southbound lanes Straszyn – Juszkowo
  • 2002-2003: road maintenance and resurfacing
  • 2006-2007: connection to the A1
    Autostrada A1 (Poland)
    The autostrada A1 in Poland is a planned and under-construction motorway which will run from north to south through central Poland, from Gdańsk on the Baltic Sea through Łódź and the Upper Silesian Industry Area to the Polish-Czech border in Gorzyczki /Věřňovice , where it will connect with the...

     motorway
  • 2006-2008: junction with Trasa Kwiatkowskiego
    Trasa Kwiatkowskiego
    Trasa im. Eugeniusza Kwiatkowskiego – is a highway in Gdynia named after Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski linking the Port of Gdynia to the Tricity beltway and therefore A1 motorway. It is currently 5.4 km long and was completed after 34 years of construction.- 1st Stage of Construction :Construction...


Transport infrastructure

The beltway is an important piece of infrastructure in the Pomeranian Voivodeship
Pomeranian Voivodeship
Pomeranian Voivodeship, or Pomerania Province , is a voivodeship, or province, in north-central Poland. It comprises most of Pomerelia , as well as an area east of the Vistula River...

 because it eases congestion through the center of the Tricity area as well as diverting transit traffic. The beltway connects Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport with the rest of the Voivodeship and is an integral part of the Tricity economy, helping boost future growth in the region.

The Obwodnica Trójmiejska is also one of only a few orbital, beltway and ring roads bypassing major cities in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

. Cities such as Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...

, Wrocław and Łódź lack a bypass causing transit traffic to go right through the city center causing frustration among the local population, increased congestion, environmental damage and pollution. The Polish government intends to finish construction on many of the major expressways and motorways that will criss cross the country and bypass major cities by the year 2013.

Road conditions

The beltway is currently in good condition compared to many of the major roads in Poland. The fact that the expressway is relataviely new and modernized make it one of the best roads in Poland today. There are two lanes in each direction and in some places a third lane is available during curved and uphill sections.

The roads are cleared regularly during heavy snowfall which can be a hazard during winter. Overall, the road is much safer than other roads in the region although accidents do tend to happen.

Current development

A new junction connecting the south end of the Tricity Beltway to the A1
Autostrada A1 (Poland)
The autostrada A1 in Poland is a planned and under-construction motorway which will run from north to south through central Poland, from Gdańsk on the Baltic Sea through Łódź and the Upper Silesian Industry Area to the Polish-Czech border in Gorzyczki /Věřňovice , where it will connect with the...

 motorway has been completed on 22 December 2007. It enables traveling up to Grudziądz
Grudziadz
Grudziądz is a city in northern Poland on the Vistula River, with 96 042 inhabitants . Situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship , the city was previously in the Toruń Voivodeship .- History :-Early history:...

 using a motorway, and when the A1 is completed it will connect Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...

, through Toruń
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....

, Łódź and Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...

 to the Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

 border in the south. The A1 motorway is planned to be completed in 2014.

On June 12, 2008, Trasa im. Eugeniusza Kwiatkowskiego
Trasa Kwiatkowskiego
Trasa im. Eugeniusza Kwiatkowskiego – is a highway in Gdynia named after Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski linking the Port of Gdynia to the Tricity beltway and therefore A1 motorway. It is currently 5.4 km long and was completed after 34 years of construction.- 1st Stage of Construction :Construction...

 has been completed and finally connected the Port of Gdynia
Port of Gdynia
Port of Gdynia – the Polish seaport located on the western coast of Gdańsk Bay Baltic sea in Gdynia. Founded in 1926. In 2008 it was #2 in containers on the Baltic sea.- Trans-shipments :* 1924 - 10,000 tons* 1929 - 2,923,000 tons* 1938 - 8,700,000 tons...

 to the Beltway, bypassing the local city streets. This should reduce truck traffic in residential areas greatly since all heavy trucks heading towards the port used national road 6 which goes through the center of the city. From 2006 onwards, the junction with ul. Morska in Gdynia is being modernized in order to smoothen traffic congestion on the national road 6.

The final location of the S6 express road is still being evaluated although it is likely to connect roughly midway through the beltway. This will cause the northern part of the beltway to be renumbered from the junction with the S6 to ul. Morska in Gdynia. Construction of the S6 is not intended to be started for a number of years because of more critical routes that need to be constructed first.

There are plans to create a so-called Tricity corridor by modernizing existing roads and building new ones. National roads 7 and 20 will be modernized with some new sections to bypass towns and the planned S6 will complete the corridor. The A1 motorway from the end of the beltway to Toruń should be completed by 2011 with the remainder from Toruń to the Czech border due to be finished by 2014 giving the residents of the Pomeranian Voivodeship their first access to the Polish and European motorway network.

See also

  • Beltway
  • European route E28
    European route E28
    European route E 28 is a west-east intermediate road in the international E-road network. Beginning at the Berliner Ring in Germany, it runs for a length of to Minsk, Belarus.-Route:Germany* Berlin* PrenzlauPoland* Szczecin* Goleniów* Koszalin...

  • Autostrada A1 (Poland)
    Autostrada A1 (Poland)
    The autostrada A1 in Poland is a planned and under-construction motorway which will run from north to south through central Poland, from Gdańsk on the Baltic Sea through Łódź and the Upper Silesian Industry Area to the Polish-Czech border in Gorzyczki /Věřňovice , where it will connect with the...

  • Tricity, Poland
  • Gdańsk
    Gdansk
    Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...

  • Sopot
    Sopot
    Sopot is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000....

  • Gdynia
    Gdynia
    Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...

  • Poland
    Poland
    Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

  • Roads and expressways in Poland
    Roads and expressways in Poland
    The highways in Poland are divided into motorways and expressways. As of November 2011, there are of motorways and of expressways ....

  • Transport in Poland
    Transport in Poland
    The transport in Poland involves air traffic, waterways, and railroads.As a country located at the 'cross-roads' of Europe, Poland, with its developed economy is a nation with a large and increasingly modern network of transport infrastructure....

  • Droga ekspresowa S6 (Poland)

External links

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