Work on the second stage of the construction of the waterway connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf of Gdańsk is becoming more and more advanced. The contract between the investor – the Maritime Office in Gdynia – and the contractor – Budimex SA was signed in April last year. The value of the contract is over PLN 574 million, and the time for its implementation is 24 months.
– Soon, on September 17, we will open the Shipping Channel through the Vistula Spit. This is the first stage of a great project, which is the construction of a new waterway, which will enable the opening of the port of Elbląg to the Baltic Sea. One of the elements of the investment connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf of Gdańsk is the work on the Elbląg River along with the construction of a swing bridge in Nowakowo. I am particularly pleased that the works under this task are also being carried out according to schedule, and the advancement of works has already reached the halfway point – said Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Marek Gróbarczyk.
The scope of work under the contract includes the reconstruction of the existing fairway on the Elbląg River in terms of bank casing, which will ultimately take over the flood protection functions of the earth embankments, the construction of low marinas to facilitate access to the river and the construction of a swing bridge over the Elbląg River in Nowakowo, along with changes to the road system.
– The construction of the waterway connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf of Gdańsk is entering a decisive stage. An element very closely related to the second stage is the county road and the bridge in Nowakowo, which we are building as a new crossing. Currently, a steel structure is being made at the prefabrication site. We have reinforced concrete structures of all supports made on site. Finishing works related to these supports are underway – says Andrzej Małkiewicz, Deputy Plenipotentiary for Project Implementation from the Maritime Office in Gdynia.
Currently, as part of the investment, the contractor of the second stage, Budimex, is performing hydrotechnical works, such as: driving sheet piling and anchoring, micropile works and reinforced concrete works.
– At the moment, mainly pile driving works are being carried out. We have completed 80% of sheet pile driving, as well as more than half of the micropiles and tongs anchoring this structure. The entire contract is advanced in approx. 50%. At the moment, approx. 200 employees and more than 20 vessels. We have 5 sets for driving sheet piles and 5 units for driving micropiles. We plan to complete the mound plunging in September or October. In August, we finish the supports of the bridge structure and start assembling the steel structure. In October, we start road works, which we also plan to complete to a large extent this year – says Grzegorz Małasiewicz, Director of Environmental Protection. Hydrotechnics of the Budimex SA Region.
The purpose of the investment is to revive the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in particular the port of Elbląg. The new infrastructure solution is to be the driving force behind the economic development of the entire region. The construction of the new waterway will create an opportunity for economic development for all ports of the Vistula Lagoon, and will also significantly shorten the existing route through the Piława Strait by almost one hundred kilometers.
After the completion of all works, the waterway connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf of Gdańsk will enable vessels up to 100 meters long, up to 20 meters wide and with a draught of 4.5 meters to enter the port of Elbląg.
