No paving pains
Drivers were gearing up for disaster when the renovation of Trasa Lazienkowska, one of Europe's most congested roads, got under way on Aug. 5.
"The beginning of Lazienkowska's renovation caused a stir because drivers were expecting a real tragedy," said Edyta Redzicka, press officer for the City Road Management Office (ZDM).
Redzicka said that only the first day of resurfacing the street had been difficult. "This renovation could have been complicated as 140,000-160,000 cars drive on the road over a 24-hour period," she said. If something had gone wrong the effect would have been dramatic she added.
Lazienkowska, which links the Srodmiescie district with the Praga Poludnie district east of the Wisla river, is a convenient way for Praga residents to get to the center of Warsaw. It's also the best route for cross-country travelers to drive through the capital.
Only a three-kilometer, two-lane stretch of Lazienkowska has been resurfaced. The improved section begins at the Na Rozdrozu square, moves toward Praga and finishes at the end of the Lazienkowski Bridge on the other side of the river.
The road will be resurfaced again in about seven years after the opening of Trasa Siekierowska, which will also cross the Wisla.
"Trasa Lazienkowska hasn't been renovated since it opened more than 20 years ago," Redzicka said. "There were efforts to repair damage, but only small chunks of the road were closed then."
The city put up zl. 6.5 million ($1.51 million) for the renovation, and four companies submitted bids. Finally, Road Works Enterprise (PRD) won the tender, and Redzicka said the company was prepared to do the job quickly.
The first lane was completed two days ahead of schedule. "Fortunately, we saved a couple of days but to be even a day ahead in Warsaw is very important," Redzicka said. She said the ZDM expects all work to be finished on Aug. 18.
While PRD hurried to complete its task, drivers were still faced with heavier traffic jams.
"Whenever you drive on Trasa Lazienkowska, you need an hour to cross the river," said Tomasz Kustek, a Praga Poludnie resident. "But at least the road workers have been trying their best, unlike on other street renovations in Warsaw."
For Marian Gaca, another Praga resident, Lazienkowska is the only convenient route to his office. He also complained about the problems of commuting on Lazienkowska, but like Kustek, said he tries to be patient. Gaca said what saved the drivers from frustration is the holiday season.
"This is vacation time, so driving in Warsaw is not that bad," Gaca said. His frustration lay not in the traffic jams but in the lack of communication between road workers and drivers. "It's stupid, but there is no information posted about what entrances to the street are being closed," he said. Gaca said that last Thursday he approached Lazienkowska from the ulica Saska side, but it turned out that this link was closed. He then had to spend a lot of time getting back and finding an available way in.
Overall, the small scale of the interruptions caused by the road works came as a nice surprise. "I am shocked because I expected greater traffic jams," said Waldemar Leszczynski, who drives on Lazienkowska every day. "But I think it's due to the vacation season."
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