Plans for zl. 16. 5 billion to be spent on new highways

According to new government proposals, investment on new highways by 2005 will amount to zl. 16.5 billion, of which zl. 2 billion to zl. 3 billion is expected to be financed by the European Union (EU). Public institutions responsible infrastructure investments are working on development plans for 2002-2005. "We estimate that 523 km of highways and 218 km of expressways will be opened for use between 2002 and 2005. It may also be possible to build 47 bypasses, seven more than planned by the government," said Tadeusz Suwara, the general director of state roads and highways authority. About zl. 9.14 billion will be spent on building highways, zl. 2.84 billion on expressways, zl. 1.76 billion on bypasses and zl. 2.68 billion on improving roads. Wojciech Janczyk, the deputy infrastructure minister said that the government expects to receive up to zl. 6 million from toll charges and from a future highway fund which would take credits and issue bonds. The end of May will see the conclusion of negotiations with the Gdansk Transport Company, which is the enterprise selected to build the A-1 highway from Gdansk to Torun. (Puls Biznesu, p. 4) K.S.