Transportation’sGiant Leap
Poland has built a network of high-speed roads almost from scratch in the 21st century, with a density approaching that of Western Europe. Considerable funds have been earmarked for the modernisation of railways but genuine results are yet to come.
Poland had only 500 km of expressways at the beginning of this century. These were mainly short stretches of motorway, some of which were built by Germany in the 1930s and ended up in Polish territory after the Second World War following the redrawing of the country’s borders. In the 1990s, despite rapid motorisation, the Polish government was unable to raise funds and start building a true road network. This task was only achieved with Poland’s accession to the European Union, ensuring access to substantial funds for infrastructure. The award of the European Football Championship in 2012 to Poland and Ukraine was also extremely motivating. That year, a record number of high-speed roads spanning almost 600 km became available to drivers. Many plans fell through at the time, however, such as completing the S7 expressway which was to run from north to south, connecting Gdańsk with Warsaw and Krakow.
Catching up with the Leaders
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