Mistrzejowice. Unexploded explosions will delay the construction of tram lines

The construction of a new tram line to Mistrzejowice has been ongoing since July last year. The investment is implemented in the public-private partnership formula. The city authorities signed a contract for the design, construction and operation of the tram line to Mistrzejowice in December 2020. The consortium of PPP Solutions Polska and Gülermak AGir Sanayi Insaat ve Taahhu was selected as the private partner.

As Bartosz Sawicki, spokesman for Gülermak, announced on Tuesday, during earthworks related to the reconstruction of the Mistrzejowice loop, the company's employees came across 32 unexploded ordnance. The pace of work was limited and some of them had to be temporarily suspended.

To ensure safety, the contractor employed specialized sapper supervision and cooperates closely with the police and the General Command of the Armed Forces.

According to the spokesman, the first discoveries (46 mm mortar shells) were found on May 29 in the area of ​​the Mistrzejowice loop and ul. Ljubljana. After being notified by the supervision from Gülermak, the bomb disposal services immediately took action to remove them. Due to the frequent discovery of subsequent unexploded ordnance (up to 10 pieces a day), the contractor decided to engage a specialized company providing bomb disposal services.

From June 7 – noted the contractor's representative – the earthworks area, where there is a risk of finding unexploded ordnance, is under constant sappers' supervision. Earthworks are carried out in layers approximately 20 cm thick, after thorough inspection by a sapper. For safety reasons, only after such verification, it is possible to start the actual work. At the same time, any discovery of an unexploded bomb requires the immediate evacuation of employees and appropriate procedures for neutralizing the projectile.

“We are constantly finding new unexploded ordnance, we have employed additional sapper supervision. Therefore, the pace of works in the area of ​​ul. Bohomolca, ul. Jancarza and the Mistrzejowice loop itself has been significantly reduced, and in some areas the works have been temporarily suspended because the area requires additional inspection” – Sawicki explained.

“These unforeseen circumstances may cause a delay in the implementation of the investment. A detailed estimate of the impact on the contract completion date will be possible only after the sappers' work is completed. At this point, the most important thing for us is that the work is carried out safely,” the spokesman added.

According to the Krakow authorities, the construction of a 4.5 km high-speed tram line is the largest transport project in Poland implemented in the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The investment worth PLN 1.92 billion is to be ready at the end of 2025.

The new track will run from the intersection of al. John Paul II from Lem and Meissnera, then along the following streets: Meissnera, Młyńska, Lublańska, Dobrego Pasterza, Krzesławicka, Bohomolec, ks. Jancarza up to the existing Mistrzejowice loop. The route includes, among others: tunnel with a multi-level transfer junction near the Polsad roundabout.

The city authorities estimate that thanks to this connection, the travel time from Mistrzejowice to the city center will be shortened by approximately 12 minutes. The investment price – over PLN 1.92 billion – includes the full service: providing financing, designing the line, obtaining the necessary permits, implementing the investment and its maintenance by the private partner for 20 years. After this period, all tram infrastructure in good technical condition will become the property of the commune.