The city wants to expand the perpetually congested Spacerowa Street in Gdansk, which connects Oliwa and Osowa, with bus lanes and a bicycle path. Two variants remain in play, and the idea of building a tunnel under Pacholek Hill - an investment now estimated at PLN 2 billion- is also returning.
So far, the City has considered four variants for the reconstruction of Spacerowa, only two have been referred for further analysis. The need for a 5.7-km busway, planned today for the section from the intersection with the Auchan shopping center to the intersection with Opacka, has been discussed in Gdansk for several years. In the last campaign, the project was on the list of election promises of Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, the mayor of Gdansk.
Osowa is waiting for better transportation
Abus lane along Spacerowa Street is supposed to be a recipe for shortening the traffic between Osowa and Oliwa, which is giving residents a hard time. Today, public transportation for residents is not an attractive alternative to cars - buses get bogged down in traffic jams. The expansion of Spacerowa Street is aimed at reducing the bus travel time between Osowa and Oliwa as much as possible, as well as creating a new bicycle connection between the districts.
- The busway will allow bus lines 169, 171 and 179 to run more frequently, with buses on the shared section running as often as every 7-8 minutes. Thanks to this investment, it will also be possible to extend line 179 to the "Przymorze SKM" junction with a convenient transfer to SKM trains and buses of lines 149, 199, 249, says Joanna Bieganowska of the Municipal Office in Gdansk.
The first variant assumes three lanes (one for the bus, two for cars and buses), including a busway with variable direction. During the morning peak, the busway would be open in the direction of Oliva, and during the afternoon peak - in the direction to Osowa. The second variant envisages four lanes (two for buses and two for cars). Such a solution means greater safety and shorter travel time for buses.
The first of the analyzed variants
Gdansk City Hall
The result? During the morning rush hour, bus travel will be shortened from 25 minutes currently to about 8-9 minutes. In turn, during the afternoon rush hour, we will get to Osowa in 7, instead of 18 minutes.
Among the downsides: tree cutting
Although the investment is needed from the perspective of transport passengers, it is not without drawbacks. And it's not just about the costs, which in the first variant will amount to 70-80 million zlotys, and in the second variant may reach up to 100 million zlotys. Regardless of which solution the city chooses, many old Oliva trees will go under the axe. The first variant assumes the felling of 1,200 trees, while the second variant assumes the felling of 2,200 trees, for which the approval of the State Forests will still be necessary.
The second variant analyzed
Gdansk City Hall
On the plus side: a bicycle path will be created along the entire length of the busway, running right next to the busway or through the forest area. It is expected to ensure the safety of travel, as well as the comfort of passage for people using bicycles or scooters.
The investment is expected to facilitate bicycle travel
Gdansk City Hall
Along with the discussion of bus lanes, the vision of building a tunnel under Pacholek Hill in Oliva is also returning.
- The busway project partially, but not entirely, solves the issue of public transportation. However, it does not solve the issue of individual transportation," explained Piotr Grzelak, deputy mayor of Gdansk, during a meeting with residents.
Just a decade ago, the construction of the tunnel under Pacholk, along with the construction of the so-called New Spacerowa, was estimated at 1 billion zlotys. Today, the implementation of this gigantic and debatable investment is estimated at approx. 2 billion zlotys. The city wants to raise government funds for the tel.
