On Friday, 1 February 2019, Budimex, Polish subsidiary of Ferrovial, put into operation a ten-kilometer section of the Olsztyn beltway on Expressway S51 from Jaroty interchange to Olsztyn Wschód interchange for the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways
The works were completed before the contractual deadline planned for 29/04/2019. Works are continued on the remaining five-kilometer section from Jaroty interchange towards the west. It will be put into operation by July 2019. After completion of work on this section, the entire 24km-long Olsztyn beltway will be passable.
Three road junctions were established under the project – Jaroty, Pieczewo and Olsztyn Wschód. The investor of the beltway is the Olsztyn Branch of the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways. The project is co-financed from the Cohesion Fund. The total gross contract value is over PLN 1 billion. Works on the construction of the Olsztyn bypass began in July 2016.
Spectacular and modern construction
The contact-related figures are impressive. During earthworks and preparation of land, Budimex removed approx. 400,000 m3 of humus, i.e. the plant soil layer, made over 2 million m3 of excavations and laid a total of approx. 500,000 m2 (350,000 tons) of bituminous pavement.
“To stabilise the marshy and boggy terrain on which the beltway is established, we had to bring in 7 million tons of land here - this is the equivalent of the volume of 5 National Stadiums in Warsaw”
Also, approx. 7,000 m2 of acoustic barriers were installed. The bridge works required 3.5 thousand tons of steel structure, 5.7 thousand tons of reinforcing steel and 51 thousand m3 of structural concrete. The greatest engineering challenge was the bridge over the Łyna River, a single-span steel structure with reinforced concrete elements.
“This bridge, 138 meters long, has been built on swampy terrain, so it required great precision in the planning and execution of construction activities”
Budimex has also used modern construction solutions in the project, such as composite reinforcement, which as more resistant to negative environmental factors and does not require expensive repairs caused by corrosion, for example. Drones were used for surveying.
“The works are still in progress, because of ground subsidence, which is very unstable near Bartąg. We have replaced over 1 million m3 of organic land on the whole beltway as reinforcement for the road structure, but in this one location we have to wait until the overloading embankment ceases to settle, the surface settles completely and it is possible to complete the needed works. I am convinced that drivers will appreciate the project, which will make travelling much easier in this region. It is also an extremely important project from the point of view of the city, as it will allow taking transit traffic out from Olsztyn and reducing the traffic on the inner streets. This long-awaited road will certainly play a strategic role”
Scope of works on S51
In addition to the main route, works carried out by Budimex also include the construction of three interchanges – Olsztyn Jaroty, Olsztyn Pieczewo and Olsztyn Wschód, service roads and renovation of selected local road sections.
The project assumes the creation of two roadways with two lanes in each direction on a bituminous surface, and 23 bridge structures: 12 viaducts over the expressway, 3 viaducts along the expressway, 2 bridges, 2 animal passages, 1 railway viaduct and 1 footbridge. The contract also included the construction of road drainage devices, road ditches, storm water drains, retention reservoirs, lighting, power networks, and ICT devices. Budimex was also responsible for creating the Traffic Management System.
The Olsztyn beltway is not the only project by Budimex in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. The company is also constructing Towarowa Street in Olsztyn, which is worth PLN 103 million, building a viaduct over the railway line in Ostróda and rebuilding National Road No. 53 in Szczytno.
