Expressway S22 (Poland)
 | |
|---|---|
| Droga ekspresowa S22 | |
 | |
| Route information | |
Part of  E77 | |
| Length | 50.2 km (31.2 mi) |
| Major junctions | |
| From | Border crossing with Russia (not yet open) |
| To |  S7 near Elbląg |
| Location | |
| Country | Poland |
| Major cities | Elbląg |
| Highway system | |
Expressway S22 or Express Road S22 (in Polish Droga ekspresowa S22) is a single carriageway express road running from Elbląg to the border with Russia at Grzechotki-Mamonovo (54°25′19″N 20°04′08″E / 54.422°N 20.069°E), where it connects to a Russian road that continues to Kaliningrad. At present the border crossing is not yet open (pending end of construction on the Russian side), so for much of its length S22 carries only local traffic. According to current plans the crossing will open some time in the middle of 2010.[1] When open, the crossing will be the largest between Poland and Russia, and will make the S22 a key transport connection between the European Union and the Kaliningrad Oblast.
The road follows the route of a German single carriageway autobahn between Elbląg (Elbing) and Kaliningrad (Königsberg) built in the 1930s, known informally as Berlinka. The old autobahn was completely reconstructed and opened as an express road in September 2008. In the course of the upgrade, the new modern carriageway was built in the space left for the second carriageway during original construction. At the same time, the original concrete carriageway was demolished almost along the entire length of the route, and only a few traces of it remain. All of the remaining original overpasses and bridges were demolished and replaced with modern works. Thus very few traces of the original German autobahn can be seen.
The construction of the road cost 483 mln PLN, of which over one third was provided by the European Union. [2]
References
- ^ Polskie Radio Olsztyn, news from Nov 16, 2009 [1]
- ^ Rzeczpospolita article 03-02-2009 [2]
