“We are close to the completion of the investment” – communicated the Mayor of Świnoujście, Janusz Żmurkiewicz, referring to the construction of the tunnel to connect the islands of Usedom and Wolin. On the construction site, the laying of road layers has begun.
The first layer of poured asphalt – as communicated on the website dedicated to the investment – will still be made in March. This will be followed by the laying of the wearing course, which will be used by cars.
“The next stage of work in the tunnel, i.e. the pouring of the asphalt, is, after the boring by the TBM machine, the most noticeable moment for future users; we are already close to completing the investment,” Janusz Żmurkiewicz, Mayor of Świnoujście, told PAP.
He pointed out that for the city as an investor, it is “a great satisfaction that the works are heading towards completion”.
“Now, we have a few weeks of asphalting ahead of us, we are also before the tender for the selection of the contractor for the sectional speed measurement, which will be installed on a 1.5-kilometre section. After that, safety tests are still to be carried out, which will allow the investment to be approved for use and we will all be able to enjoy the shorter road between the islands of Usedom and Wolin,” added Żmurkiewicz.
Once the asphalt is laid, the contractor will begin a series of safety tests to ensure the tunnel is suitably prepared for future users.
As communicated, finishing work is still underway at the construction site. Installation work is being carried out in the transformer station buildings. On the ramp and in the tunnel made using the floor method, aluminium panel cladding is being installed on the walls.
In the tunnel, the installation of the infrastructure, the sealing of the prefabricated elements and the cleaning and sealing of the entire tunnel enclosure are being carried out. Doors in the technical and evacuation rooms are being installed.
In the Service Centre Office Building, where it will be possible to monitor what is happening in the tunnel, all the necessary equipment and installations are also connected.
“In the VC1 ventilator room, the installation of the dampers has been completed, as well as the ventilation grilles in the blast holes. Installation work is being carried out for the power supply of the exhaust fans,” he added.
The tunnel is expected to be operational before the summer holidays. The road between the islands of Wolin and Usedom will be about 3.2 km long. The part excavated with a TBM is 1484 m long. The investor is Świnoujście and the substitute investor is the Szczecin branch of the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways. The contractor is a consortium of PORR/Gülermak companies. The cost of construction is over PLN 900 million, of which almost PLN 775.7 million comes from EU funds. Świnoujście is contributing the remainder from its own budget.
The crossing under the Swina Strait is intended to end the traffic problems of Świnoujście residents and tourists, and to connect the island of Wolin with the island of Usedom (where the administrative and service centre and the seaside district are located). To get to the island of Usedom, a ferry crossing must currently be used, which often involves long waits.