– The southern carriageway of national road no. 18 is sometimes maliciously called the “longest stairs in Europe”. Indeed, its condition was embarrassing for many years. Fortunately, that time is becoming history. Thanks to the contract being signed today, we are certain that the southern part of Lubusz Voivodeship is gaining a safe and comfortable road built to motorway standards – said Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Rafał Weber.

– This is already the third contract signed to adapt DK18 to motorway standards. For drivers, this means that in 2023 they will be able to travel without hindrance on the A18 motorway, which connects to the A4 on the Polish side and to the German A15 motorway at the state border. Once the work is completed, Poland’s motorway network will gain more than 70 kilometres of new, dual-carriageway A18 motorway, built according to the highest safety standards – said Tomasz Żuchowski, acting General Director of National Roads and Motorways.

What does the contract include?

General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways: – The contractor will be responsible for reconstructing the southern carriageway of national road no. 18 and its surroundings. Work on the southern carriageway will mainly involve replacing the deteriorated surface and adapting the road’s load-bearing capacity to carry loads of 11.5 tonnes per axle, taking into account the projected traffic volume appropriate for a motorway. The project also includes constructing access roads, reconstructing the Iłowa interchange and building technical infrastructure and environmental protection facilities, such as wildlife crossings. The project will be carried out under the Build formula.

When will the project be ready?

Road officials: – The time allocated for completing the works, including obtaining the occupancy permit, is 25 months from the date the contract is signed. The time allocated for the works does not include winter periods, lasting from 16 December to 15 March and counted as three months.

The works are scheduled to be completed in 2023.

The authority emphasises that the aim of the entire project is to adapt national road no. 18 to motorway standards along the more than 70-kilometre Olszyna–Golnice section. The project has been divided into four construction sections:

  • from the state border to km 11.86 (more than two kilometres beyond the Żary Zachód interchange towards Wrocław) – under construction, with completion planned for the second half of 2023;
  • from km 11.86 (more than two kilometres beyond the Żary Zachód interchange towards Wrocław) to km 33.76 (nearly four kilometres before the Iłowa interchange) – under construction, with completion planned for the second half of 2022;
  • from km 33.76 (nearly four kilometres before the Iłowa interchange) to the border of Lubusz and Lower Silesian voivodeships – contract signed;
  • border of Lubusz and Lower Silesian voivodeships–Golnice interchange – the most advantageous bid has been selected; the contract is planned to be signed in the first quarter of 2021.

The first two projects are already under way. The signed contract concerns the third stage of the A18 construction. Once the contract for the final, fourth section is signed, work along the entire length of DK18 will be carried out simultaneously.

More about A18

GDDKiA:

National road no. 18 is located in the Third Pan-European Transport Corridor, running through Poland as part of the international E36/40 route. This corridor connects Ukraine, Slovakia and southern Poland with Dresden and Berlin. National road no. 18 is classified as one of Poland’s main roads of industrial and tourist importance. It connects the A4 motorway with the border crossing at Olszyna. The old national road no. 18, now its southern carriageway, was built by the Germans in the 1930s. It formed part of the Berlin–Wrocław motorway. In November 2004, the first stage of adapting national road no. 18 to the parameters of the future A18 motorway began. A parallel northern carriageway was built alongside the existing road and opened to traffic in 2006.