Work is underway on the squeezing of one of the largest facilities of this type in Poland – a concrete segment weighing over 5.5 thousand tons under the active railway line in Oświęcim. This is the most technologically demanding stage of the construction of the city bypass along national road No. 44, run by Budimex S.A. on behalf of GDDKiA.
Budimex, as the general contractor of the investment, has started the operation of pressing a massive reinforced concrete block under an active railway line in the Oświęcim area. Due to the special environmental conditions and the need to maintain the continuity of railway traffic, an advanced technology was used to insert a previously made segment measuring 22.7 by 38.7 by 8.5 meters under the railway embankment without interfering with the existing track infrastructure. The structure of the reinforced concrete block will accommodate as many as six lanes – four for the city bypass and two for local traffic.
As many as 60 actuators are responsible for moving it, working with great precision. The whole process resembles a slow, millimetre “pressing” of the structure into the railway embankment and takes place at a speed of about 70 cm per day, while maintaining the highest safety standards and constant monitoring along with the simultaneous removal of excavated material from the railway embankment. The implementation of this facility (WK-2) is the most difficult part of the construction of the Oświęcim bypass. The investment is carried out in demanding soil and water conditions – with a high level of groundwater and a significant depression in the foundation of the facility. An additional challenge is the limitations resulting from the location of the investment in the vicinity of protected areas and the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“Squeezing such a large object under an active railway line is an operation of exceptional scale and complexity. It requires not only advanced technological solutions, but also precise planning and close cooperation of all participants in the construction process. This is a moment that verifies the quality of the preparation of the entire investment and the experience of the entire implementation team,” says Daniel Paliwoda, Deputy Contract Manager at Budimex SA.
The construction of the Oświęcim bypass is one of the key road investments in the region. The new route, which is over 9 km long, will connect the city with the S1 expressway, providing convenient access to the A4 motorway and relieving the centre of Oświęcim from transit traffic. National road No. 44, which is an important transport corridor in Małopolska, currently handles over 20 thousand vehicles a day. About 1.7 km of national road No. 44 remains until the end of the contract, along with the implementation of a key passage under the railway line. The end of the works is planned for the end of 2026.
The value of the contract carried out by Budimex SA on behalf of the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways amounts to nearly PLN 467.7 million.
For over 50 years, Budimex has been implementing strategic infrastructure investments in Poland, including road, rail, energy and cubature construction. The company is responsible for the implementation of many complex projects requiring the use of advanced technologies and work in difficult environmental conditions, which confirms its experience and competence as a leader in the construction market.
