Reconstruction of National Road 1 in Częstochowa will soon begin. Perhaps this investment would not be so controversial and worth subjecting it to critical evaluation by experts and residents, if it were not for the fact that without public consultation the decision was made to extensively cut down trees and bushes in the vicinity of DK1. Residents do not spare critical comments, and the president of SARP Częstochowa appeals to the authorities to change: firstly, thinking about road construction in Poland, and secondly, the strategy of informing citizens about public investments.
The case concerns the investment "Reconstruction of Wojska Polskiego Avenue - DK1 in Czestochowa," which is scheduled to begin on August 2. At the end of June, the Municipal Road and Transport Authority of Częstochowa received permission to begin work. A consortium of companies is responsible for the reconstruction project: Sweco Engineering (leader), Pracownia Projektowa MOSTOPOL and AII Consulting. The investment is being carried out in the "design and build" system. The site for construction is being prepared by Fleur Horticultural Company, selected through a tender.
information on logging hidden in the depths of the system
Perhaps the topic of reconstruction of the DK1 in Czestochowa would not have been so controversial, as well as worthy of being subjected to expert evaluation and residents' opinion, had it not been for the decision to extensively cut greenery from areas along the national road, which no one initially consulted with residents and experts. However, such a discussion, or a public protest, for example, would not have been easy to initiate. And that's because detailed information about the cutting of trees and shrubs is hidden scrupulously in the depths of other content on the website of the Municipal Road and Public Transport Authority of Częstochowa. To get to them, you need to find the relevant investment, then download the appropriate file, in which, after unzipping it, you will find a dozen others. One of them is an Excel document, where we will find specific species of trees along with the number and shrubs along with the area "selected" for cutting. At the same time, we can safely assume that most residents of neither Częstochowa nor any other city in Poland explore the websites of local government bodies in search of such information. And the Częstochowa local government certainly does not facilitate access to such information.
Information about the cutting of trees in connection with the investment "Redevelopment of Wojska Polskiego Avenue - DK1 in Częstochowa" was brought to light by members of SARP Częstochowa, specifically by its branch president Hubert Wąsek and members of the Częstochowa Smog Alarm. In the aforementioned Excel document, we read that MZDiT plans to cut 622 trees and 1,917 square meters of shrubbery.
You can read the documents on the investment here.
They saved about a thousand trees
The figures impressed the residents of Czestochowa, who under the post of the president of SARP Czestochowa, spared no critical comments. However, after speaking with Hubert Wąsk, we learned that the area of greenery to be removed near DK1 in the original version of the project was to be much larger.
Initially, well over a thousand trees were identified for removal. Together with the Częstochowa Smog Alarm, we appealed at the time to save these trees, as cutting down such a large number is not necessary, and is even harmful. As a result, the project was reconsidered. It turned out that fewer trees could be cut down. I won't say now exactly how many, but we managed to save about a thousand trees, so realize how it all works..., " comments Hubert Wąsek.
In many road reconstruction projects, such extensive logging is not necessary. It is enough just to have a well-designed project. Besides, let's finally get out of the road construction thinking known from the 1950s, of "bare" roads without trees. It is possible to build or rebuild a safe road while leaving trees in its surroundings ," adds the president of SARP Częstochowa.
Hubert Wąsek also draws attention to the problem of ineffective information of Częstochowa's residents about the details of investments carried out in the city, such as the cutting of greenery. In his opinion, the local government and MZDiT do it too late, and the information is not easily accessible.
To find a list of tree cuttings in connection with the reconstruction of the DK1 one has to do a little digging on the MZDiT website, and most people don't do this. Among other things, that's why I made this information public. Besides, this is not the first situation in which residents are surprised by information about the cutting. It is worth mentioning, for example, the cutting of several hundred trees on Marszalkowska Avenue. The local government announced it basically overnight - there was no time for protests ," he says.
The president of SARP Częstochowa appeals to local governments to play fair to residents. In his opinion, they should have the right to express their opinion on the issue of tasks carried out in public space, especially taking into account such an important topic as greenery in cities today.
MZDiT explains the decision
For an answer to the question of why it was necessary to remove such a large number of trees in connection with the reconstruction of the DK1, we asked the Municipal Road and Transportation Authority of Częstochowa.
The need to cut or replant existing trees in the DK1 road lane in the reconstruction section is due to several reasons. First of all, the geometry and type of intersections with Legionów and Krakowska/Rejtana streets are being rebuilt. In place of intersections with traffic lights, collision-free road interchanges will be created. The consequence of the above (with the need for the designer to apply the rules of technical conditions to which public roads and their location should correspond) is greater land occupation, including wooded areas. In addition, the road lane will be equipped with additional infrastructure, i.e. bicycle paths and pedestrian routes, as well as noise barriers. The above also necessitates additional occupation of the road lane and the cutting or replanting of conflicting trees ," writes Jaroslaw Brymora of MZDiT, manager of the DK1 reconstruction project.
While in the situation of changing the road layout there was no possibility of preserving existing trees and shrubs, the construction and reconstruction of underground infrastructure took into account the possibility of avoiding collisions with the tree canopy. Where it was possible, due to the age of trees and shrubs, it was accepted to replant them in other locations ," the response reads.
According to Jaroslaw Brymor, such a decision avoided the cutting of 153 trees and 1,079 shrubs. He also cites the age of the trees as one of the arguments for cutting them down.
The urban section of the DK1 was commissioned in the mid-1970s, and the existing greenery development also dates from that period. Since then, in addition to the planned plantings, trees have spontaneously grown in the slope area, which as of today require removal due to their location and trunk diameter. The project team conducted an analysis of the possibility of adapting the existing trees to its own solutions. The aforementioned analysis made it possible to leave 1,376 trees of various species and diameters in their current location , Brymora writes.
At the same time, the Municipal Roads and Transportation Authority informs that in place of the cut trees, new plantings have been planned along the lane, specifically: 147 "Cleveland" common maples, 150 "Elsrijk" field maples, 135 "Chanticleer" small-fruited pears, 113 "Umbraculifera" peculiar cherries and 358 "Stricta" hawthorns.
The implementation of the project "Reconstruction of Wojska Polskiego Avenue - DK1 in Częstochowa" will soon start, which means there is no time to protest and save other trees. However, the SARP president suggests that it would be possible. The example of Czestochowa, however, could be a lesson for the future for other local governments. Still, residents, activists and experts should be vigilant and keep an eye on the authorities.
