Highways in Poland

Polish highway network:

Completed

Opened with lower speed limits

Construction

Design (as part of design-build)

Tender

Environmental decision obtained

Planned

Planned network defined by the ministry ordinance[a][1] Development of the highway network in Poland since 1932:

Completed

Under construction

Planned

Total length of highways by year A1/A2 Łódź Północ interchange A1/A4 Gliwice Sośnica interchange

Controlled-access highways in Poland are part of the national roads network and they are divided into motorways and expressways. Both types of highways feature grade-separated interchanges with all other roads, emergency lanes, feeder lanes, wildlife crossings and dedicated roadside rest areas. Motorways differ from expressways in their technical parameters like designated speed, permitted road curvature, lane widths or minimal distances between interchanges. Moreover, expressways might have single-carriageway sections in case of low traffic densities (as of 2025, such sections constitute 3% of the highway network).

The development of modern highways began in the 1970s, but proceeded very slowly under the communist rule and for the first years afterwards: only 434 km of highways (5% of the planned network) were constructed in total between 1970 and 2000.[2] Further 1050 km (13% of the network) were opened from 2001 to 2010, followed by 2773 km (34% of the network) constructed between 2011 and 2020.[3] It is planned to open about 2500 km (31%) in the 2020s, while the last about 1400 km (17%) would be completed in the 2030s.[4]

As of July 2025[update], there are 5221.7 km[5] of motorways and expressways in operation (62% of the intended network), while contracts for construction of further 1349 km[6][7] (16% of the network) are ongoing.

Except for the single-carriageway expressways, both types of highways fulfill the definition of a motorway as specified by OECD, WRA or Vienna Convention. Speed limits in Poland are 140 km/h on motorways and 120 km/h on expressways (100 km/h for single-carriageway expressway sections). Some motorway stretches are tolled.

## Technical parameters

[edit]

* Motorways are public roads with controlled access which are designated for motor vehicles only, and feature two carriageways with at least two continuous lanes each, divided by a median. They have no single-level intersections with any roads or other forms of land and water transport, and have wildlife crossings constructed above the road. They feature emergency lanes and feeder lanes, and are equipped with dedicated roadside rest areas. Motorways are the only roads in Poland which use blue background on road signs; others use green road signs.[8]
* Expressways share most of the characteristics of motorways, differing mainly in that:

1. Expressways are designated for lower speed than motorways. For example, the road curvature can be more severe and the lanes are usually narrower (3.5 m vs 3.75 m). Emergency lanes are also narrower (2.5 m vs 3 m) and in exceptional situations expressways might not have them at all.
2. Expressways can have a single carriageway on sections with low traffic density.
3. Motorways can have interchanges only with main roads, and the distance between interchanges is typically not less than 15 km (or 5 km near major cities), while expressways typically have more frequent interchanges. In exceptional situations, expressways might not have dedicated feeder lanes on interchanges.[8]

## List of motorways and expressways

[edit]

In 2004, the government published the ordinance defining the planned highway network of length about 7,200 km (4,474 mi).[9] Notable changes introduced in later amendments include re-routing S8 and adding S61 instead (a change related to the Rospuda Valley conflict),[10] introducing S16, S52 and A/S50,[11] as well as extending S5,[12] S8[13] and S10,[14] raising the total length to about 8,200 km (5,095 mi).[15][11]

The planned network consists of 16 major highways (over 200 km of intended length): A1, S3, S5, S7, S11, S17, S19, S61 running north to south and A2/S2, A4, S6/A6, S8/A8, S10, S12, S16, S74 running west to east, as well as 9 shorter highways:[b][c] [18][19][20][21][4]

1) Highways and major sections completed  Sign  | Route  | Location  | Total length  | Existing  | Years of opening

|
|
|
|
|

| Gdańsk (S6) - Grudziądz (S5) - Toruń (S10) - Łódź (A2/S8) \- Katowice Airport (S1) \- Gliwice (A4) \- / (Ostrava) |  | 566.6 km  | 566.6 km  | 100%  | 2007 – 2022
[d]

| Main section:
/ (Berlin) \- S3 - Poznań (S5/S11) \- Łódź (A1/S14) \- Warsaw (S7/S8/S17) |  | 489.7 km[e] |  454.9 km
34.8 km | 100%  | mainly
2003 – 2013
[f]
| Main section:
Szczecin (A6) - Gorzów Wlkp. \- A2 - Zielona Góra \- Legnica (A4) - / (Prague) |  | 368.7 km[g] | 368.7 km
of which 3 km near the Czech border remain closed until connecting D11 is constructed | 100%  | 2010 – 2024
[h]
| / (Dresden) \- Legnica (S3) \- Wrocław (A8) \- Opole \- Gliwice (A1) \- Katowice (S1) \- Kraków (S7) \- Rzeszów (S19) \- / (Lviv) |  | 669 km  | 669 km
of which 103 km substandard: no hard shoulder | 100%  | 1983 – 2016
| Main section:
Grudziądz (A1) - Bydgoszcz (S10) \- Poznań (A2/S11) - Wrocław (A8) |  | 340.3 km[i] | 340.3 km  | 100%  | 2012 – 2022
[j]

| Main section:
Wrocław (A4) - Łódź (A1) - Piotrków T. \- Warsaw (A2/S7) \- Ostrów M. (S61) - Białystok (S19) |  | 548.2 km[k] |  525.5 km
22.7 km | 100%  | 2008 – 2019
[l]
| Łódź western bypass (S8 – A2) | Łódź | 40.2 km  | 40.2 km
of which 0.5 km substandard: an at-grade roundabout | 100%  | 2012 – 2023
| Main section:
Warsaw (A2) – Lublin (S12/S19)  |  | 150 km[m] | 150 km  | 100%  | 2013 – 2020
[l]
| / (Berlin) – Krzyżowa (A4) |  | 76.5 km  | 76.5 km
of which 5.6 km substandard: no hard shoulder | 100%  | 2006, 2022/2023
[n]
| Elbląg – /Kaliningrad Oblast |  | 52.2 km  | 52.2 km single carriageway | 50%  | 2008[o]
| Olsztyn (S16) – Olsztynek (S7)  |  | 20.3 km  | 20.3 km  | 100%  | 2012, 2019
| Kraków northern bypass (A4 – S7) | Kraków | 18.3 km  | 18.3 km  | 100%  | 1986 – 2024
| Warsaw – airport – S2 | Warsaw | 4.8 km  | 4.8 km  | 100%  | 2013
| Katowice – Sosnowiec | Upper Silesia | 5.9 km  | 5.9 km  | 100%  | 1985

2) Highways in development

Sign  | Route  | Location  | Total length  | Existing  | Construction commenced[p] | Of which under active construction | Scheduled years of opening[7] | Tender  | In preparation[q]
| Katowice Airport (A1) - Mysłowice (A4) - Bielsko-Biała (S52) - / (Žilina) |  | 144 km  | 79 km
\+ 17 km single carriageway | 59%
(64.9%) | 4.8 km
+ 3.7 km single carriageway | 2025  |  |
(+ 39.5 km)
dual carriageway road | (94.1%) | \+ 39.5 km
(new route) | 2026  |  |
| Eastern section:
Warsaw (S17) – / (Minsk) |  | 168.2 km  | 72.1 km  | 42.9%  | 63.8 km  | 2025, 2029? | 25.5 km  | 6.8 km
| Northern section:
Świnoujście (/ Ystad) – Szczecin (A6) |  | 85.4 km  | 50.9 km
+ 5.4 km 1st carriageway
| 62.8%  | 29.1 km
+ 5.4 km 2nd carriageway | 2025  |  |

| / (Berlin) \- Szczecin[r] \- Goleniów (S3) - Koszalin (S11) - Słupsk \- Gdańsk (A1)  |  | 412 km  |  230.8 km
28.1 km | 71.7%  | 102.3 km  | 2025, 2026  |  |
Szczecin western bypass | 0 km  | 0%  | 1.5 km  | 2028, 2029?, 2032? | 49.3 km  |
| Gdynia \- Gdańsk (A1) - Elbląg (S22) - Olsztynek (S51) - Warsaw (S8) |  | approx. 750 km  | 301.2 km | 82.7%
| 45 km
(reconstruction of the 2x2 road to 2x3 highway; 2 lanes per each direction are open to traffic on the whole length of the reconstruction site) | 2025, 2026,
2027,  2032? |  | 13 km (reconstruction
\+ new route)
(+ 58 km)
dual carriageway road | (96%)
(+ 12 km)
auxiliary route through S6[s] | (100%) | \+ 15 km
(new route) | 2025  |  |
Warsaw (S2) \- Radom (S12) - Kielce (S74) - Kraków (A4)  | 276 km
+ 0.4 km 1st carriageway | 98%  | 5.3 km
+ 0.4 km 2nd carriageway | 2025, 2026  |  |
(+ 12.5 km)
auxiliary route through S52[t] | (100%)
Kraków (A4) - Rabka-Zdrój \- / (Martin)[u] | 31.8 km | 34.6%  | partial reconstruction to grade-separated (2 lanes per direction are open to traffic) | 2030?, 2032?, 2038?[v] |  | approx. 60 km (new route)
(+ 25 km)
dual carriageway road | (62%)
| Eastern section:
Lublin (S17/S19) - Chełm \- / (Kyiv) |  | 103.7 km[w] | 29.2 km  | 28.2%  | 68.8 km  | 14 km  | 2026, 2027, 2032? |  | 5.7 km
| Eastern section:
Lublin (S12/S19) - Zamość \- / (Lviv) |  | 126 km[m] | 9.6 km
+ 2 km 1st carriageway | 8.4%  | 92 km  | 17 km  | 2027, 2028, 2030?,
2nd c/w: 2032? |  | 22.3 km
\+ 2 km 2nd c/w

Via Carpatia | / (Minsk) \- Białystok (S8) - Lublin (S12/S17)  |  | 572.5 km  | 18.5 km
1st carriageway | 2.9%  | 229.9 km
\+ 18.5 km 2nd carriageway | 87.8 km
\+ 13.7 km 2nd carriageway | 2025, 2026, 2027,
2028, 2029?, 2030? |  | 69.4 km

Lublin (S12/S17) – Rzeszów (A4) | 141.7 km
\+ 16.3 km 1st carriageway
with interchanging 2+1 lanes | 94.8%
(100%) | 16.3 km
2nd carriageway | 2026 |  |
Rzeszów (A4) – / (Košice) | 11.4 km  | 11.8%  | 85.2 km  | 42.6 km  | 2026, 2027,
tunnels: 2028, 2030, 2031 |  |

Via Baltica | Ostrów Mazowiecka (S8) - Łomża \- Ełk (S16) - Suwałki \- / (Kaunas) |  | 210.7 km  | 197.8 km
+ 12.9 km 1st carriageway | 93.9%
(100%) | 12.9 km
2nd carriageway | 2025  |  |

3) Highways partially in development
Sign  | Route  | Location  | Total length  | Existing  | Construction commenced  | Of which under active construction | Tender  | Predesign complete | In preparation[q] | Planned comple­tion [21][24]
| Southern extension:
Wrocław (A8) - Kłodzko \- / (Brno) |  | approx. 127.4 km  | 5.1 km  | 4%  | 59.5 km  | 11.2 km  | 9.3 km  |  | approx. 53.5 km  | 2028, 2038
| Main section:
Szczecin (A6) - Piła (S11) \- Bydgoszcz (S5) - Toruń (A1) |  | 297 km  | 50.2 km
\+ 17.5 km
1st carriageway | 19.8%  | 153 km
+ 17.5 km 2nd carriageway | 45.4 km  |  |  | 37.8 km  | 2031
\+ 39.5 km
| Koszalin (S6) - Piła (S10) \- Poznań (A2/S5) - Kępno (S8) - Piekary Śląskie (A1) |  | 556.5 km  | 154.4 km
\+ 10.5 km
1st carriageway | 28.7%  | 122.1 km
\+ 4.2 km
2nd carriageway | 25 km  |  |  | 47 km  | 2031
\+ 222.5 km
+ 6.3 km 2nd c/w
| Łódź (A1) - Sulejów (S12) - Kielce (S7) - Nisko (S19)  |  | approx. 261 km  | 6.7 km  | 2.6%  | 108.6 km  | 28.7 km  |  |  | 92 km  | 2032, 2035
\+ approx. 54 km

4) Planned highways
Sign  | Route  | Location  | Total length  | Existing  | Construction commenced  | Of which under active construction | Tender  | Predesign complete | In preparation[q] | Planned comple­tion [21][24]
| Eastern extension:
Ostróda (S7) – Grudziądz (A1) |  | approx. 104.3 km  | 14.3 km  | 13.7%  |  |  |  |  | approx. 90 km  | 2033
Western extension:
Bolków (S3) – Świdnica – S8  | approx. 50 km  | 0 km  | 0%  |  |  |  |  | approx. 50 km  | 2032
| Eastern section:
Włocławek (A1) - Płock \- Warsaw (S7) |  | approx. 120 km  | 0 km  | 0%  |  |  |  |  | approx. 120 km | 2033
| Western section:
Piotrków Tryb. (A1) - Sulejów (S74) \- Radom (S7) - Lublin (S17)  |  | 185 km  | 16.4 km
+ 6.0 km
1st carriageway | 10.7%  | 29.1 km  |  |  |  | 133.5 km
+ 6.0 km 2nd c/w | 2033
| Olsztyn (S51) - Ełk (S61) - Białystok (S19) |  | approx. 245 km  | 46.2 km
\+ 20.1 km
1st carriageway | 23%  | 19.7 km
+ 20.1 km 2nd carriageway |  |  |  | 77.5 km  | 2037
\+ approx. 81.5 km
| Warsaw eastern bypass (S8 – S2) | Warsaw | 17.3 km  | 3.5 km  | 20.2%  |  |  |  |  | 13.8 km  | 2036

| CPK (A2) - Mińsk M. (A2) \- CPK | Warsaw
(2nd ring road) | approx. 265 km  | 0 km  | 0%  |  |  |  |  |  approx. 100 km
approx. 165 km | 2038
| / (Olomouc) - Cieszyn \- Bielsko-Biała (S1) \- Wadowice \- Głogoczów (S7) |  | 98 km  | 37 km  | 37.8%  |  |  |  |  | 61 km  | 2032

In total[b]
Planned length  | Existing  | Construction commenced[p] | Of which under active construction | Tender  | Predesign complete | In preparation  | No progress
Total  | approx. 8,250 km (5,126 mi)  |  approx. 2086 km
approx. 6164 km  | 5082.9 km
\+ 177.6 km
1st carriageway | 62.69%  | 1243.9 km
\+ 3.7 km 1st c/w
\+ 94 km 2nd c/w | 574.6 km
\+ 3.7 km 1st c/w
\+ 57.7 km 2nd c/w | 85.6 km  | 0 km  | approx.
1656.3 km
\+ 14.3 km
2nd carriageway | 73 km
2nd c/w[x]

### Cross-sections

[edit]

A4 in Zabrze: section with 2x3 lanes S5 near Bydgoszcz with 2x2 lanes: the most common highway type S22 near Kaliningrad Oblast border: a single-carriageway expressway; space reservation for the 2nd carriageway can be seen on the right

As of July 2025, the operational sections of highways utilize the following cross-sections:

* 7% (367 km) – motorways and expressways with 2x3 or (occasionally) 2x4 or 2x5 lanes,
* 90% (4690 km) – motorways and expressways with 2x2 lanes,
* 3% (164 km) – single-carriageway expressways, of which 55 km with dual-carriageway fragments (2x2) around the interchanges.

All single-carriageway expressways are constructed with allocated space for a possible upgrade to dual-carriageway and all bridges above such highways are prepared to accommodate the second carriageway. Most of those sections are planned to be widened to full profile by 2033, the exceptions being S1 (near the Slovak border) and S22 (near the border with Kaliningrad Oblast) where widening is currently not expected.[4]

### Substandard highways

[edit]

The substandard section of A4 west of Wrocław

Motorways and expressways constructed before 1999 do not have to fulfill technical parameters defined by the ministry ordinance. As of 2025, one notable case of a substandard highway remains:

* A4 on the section Krzyżowa – Wrocław (103 km) was constructed in years 1934 – 1937 (then the territory of Nazi Germany) and renovated in years 2002 – 2006. The road received new high quality surface but the geometry was kept unchanged and many overpasses above the motorway were kept. In effect, this part has no emergency lanes and the speed limit is decreased to 110 km/h. Its full reconstruction (and widening to three lanes per direction) is scheduled for years 2027 – 2031.[25]

Notable historical cases are:

Historical cases

* Expressways were formerly allowed to admit an at-grade intersection with a minor public road in exceptional cases. The last such section which remained operational past 1999 was S3 near Szczecin (19 km), opened in 1979, which featured two at-grade road intersections until the reconstruction conducted in years 2019 – 2020.[26][27][28] Since 2020, all expressways (as well as motorways) in Poland have grade-separated intersections, which became a formal requirement by 2022, when the provision allowing at-grade intersections on expressways was removed from the ordinance.[8]
* A6 near Szczecin (29 km) was constructed by Nazi Germany and kept using the original surface made of concrete slabs until the reconstruction conducted in years 1996 – 1999 and (easternmost fragment) 2017 – 2021.[29]
* A18 (70 km) had its southern carriageway constructed by Nazi Germany. The northern carriageway was constructed in 2004 – 2006, while the southern carriageway kept using the original concrete slabs until the reconstruction conducted in years 2020 – 2023.

## Speed limits

[edit]

Maximum speed (km/h) by vehicle type  |  Motorway  |  Expressway

|
|

dual-carriageway  | single-carriageway
Private car, motorbike, van up to 3.5 t (does not apply if towing trailer)  | 140  | 120  | 100
Bus meeting additional technical requirements  | 100
Bus; a vehicle over 3.5 t or towing trailer or carrying dangerous materials  | 80
Vehicle having equipment more than 1.5 m forward of the driver's seat  | 60
Motorbike (including towing trailer) carrying a child up to 7 years old  | 40

### Other restrictions

[edit]

* Pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds, and agricultural vehicles are not allowed on motorways.
* Minimum speed on motorways is 40 km/h except in extraordinary circumstances (e.g. snow, ice, or a car broken down).
* It is forbidden to stop except in extraordinary circumstances, or to travel backwards.
* Towing is not allowed on motorways, but is permitted on expressways.

## Tolls

[edit]

Motorways with tolled sections E-toll sign for vehicles over 3.5 t

Since 2023, all state-owned highways are free for vehicles up to 3.5 tons of permissible maximum weight[30][31] (for a passenger car with a trailer, the joint permissible maximum weight of the car and the trailer must not exceed 3.5 tons[32]). On some sections, old inactive infrastructure for toll collection is still in place.

The privately owned sections of A1, A2 and A4 are tolled. These sections are indicated by the motorway sign accompanied by the word Płatna.

Tolled sections  Sign  | Section  | Manager  | Length  | Price[y] | Manual toll collection  | Electronic toll collection  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  | Gdańsk – Toruń | GTC | 152 km  | 30 PLN ($8)  | Closed system: there are toll stations on every interchange; the driver receives a ticket upon entering the motorway and pays on the exit, with the price dependent on the distance driven.  | Electronic toll collection through the Autopay mobile app[33][34] allows one to choose the "fast gates" instead of waiting in the queue to the regular gates.  |
| Rzepin – Poznań-West | AWSA | 133 km  | 50 PLN ($13)  | —  | Poznań bypass, including the common sections with S5 and S11, is free.
Poznań-East – Sługocin | 85 km  | 64 PLN ($16)  | Open system: two toll stations are located at the ends of the section; a person driving the whole distance pays at both gates, while a person entering or leaving the motorway mid-section pays only at one gate.  | Electronic toll collection through the Autopay mobile app[33][34] allows one to choose the "fast gates" instead of waiting in the queue to the regular gates.
| Mysłowice – Kraków-Balice | Stalexport  | 52 km  | 32 PLN ($7)  | Kraków bypass, including the common sections with S7 and S52, is free.

### Vehicles over 3.5 tons and buses

[edit]

Using e-Toll is obligatory for buses as well as all vehicles with maximum permissible weight exceeding 3.5 tons (including the trailer) while driving on the Polish roads (not just the highways). More details can be found on the e-Toll website.[35]

## Traffic volumes

[edit]

S8 in Warsaw

Traffic volumes in Poland note rapid increase since the fall of communism in 1989: the annual average daily traffic recorded in 2020 amounts to over 360% of the average traffic recorded in 1990.[36][37] With the increasing traffic, the length of overburdened single-carriageway national roads[38] had also been steadily increasing until reaching the maximum of 1389 km in 2010.[39] Due to the large number of highway sections opened between 2010 and 2020, in that decade the length of overburdened roads has fallen down for the first time in history, from 1389 km in 2010 to 1121 km in 2020.[37]

The latest general measurement was conducted in 2020, although some measurement days were moved to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic which would have caused the results from 2020 to be unreliable.[40] The following highways recorded the highest volumes:[41]

Busiest highways in Poland (absolute numbers)

No  | Section  | Vehicles / day | Notes
1  | S8 in Warsaw | 198,000  | Highest AADT on sections with 5 lanes per direction: 198k.
Highest AADT on sections with 3 lanes per direction: 179k.
S8 in Warsaw serves both the transit and local traffic, and long jams form on it during rush hours. Partially joint with S7.
2  | S2: Warsaw southern bypass | 143,000  | Data from 2023 – the results from 2020 were not considered reliable because the tunnel section was missing.[42] Partially joint with S7 and S8. 3 lanes per direction.
3  | S86 | 113,000  | S86 serves mainly local traffic between Sosnowiec and Katowice and is not part of Poland's transit network. 3 lanes per direction.
4  | A4 in Katowice | 105,000  | A4 serves both the transit traffic (2 lanes per direction) and local traffic (2 lanes per direction).
Busiest highways in Poland (per number of lanes)
No  | Section  | Vehicles / day / number of lanes | Notes
1  | S8 in Warsaw | 179,000 / 2×3 lanes | See above.
2  | S2: Warsaw southern bypass  | 143,000 / 2×3 lanes
3  | S6: Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia bypass  | 93,000 / 2×2 lanes  | Some decrease in traffic on S6 is expected after Tricity Outer Bypass (S7) is opened in late 2025.
4  | A4: Kraków western bypass  | 85,000 / 2×2 lanes  | Some decrease in traffic on A4 is expected after Kraków eastern bypass (S7) is opened in mid-2026. Widening to 3 lanes per direction is planned in the future (after 2030).

The other highest and lowest recorded AADT values were:

Category  | Section  | Vehicles / day | Notes

|
|
|

Busiest regular national roads
Note: Measurements are not performed on national roads within the borders of major cities
Busiest dual-carriageway national road  | DK7 north of Warsaw | 63,000  | 2 lanes per direction with at-grade intersections and traffic lights. New parallel route of S7 is planned to be opened in the future (around 2032).
Busiest single-carriageway national road | DK44 west of Kraków | 36,000  | Widening to 2 lanes per direction is planned in the future (after 2030).[43]
Busiest single-carriageway national road within the planned highway network  | DK19 north of Lublin | 28,500  | S19 is under construction, expected to be opened in mid-2027.
Busiest single-carriageway highways
Busiest single-carriageway highway  | S1 near Żywiec | 17,000  |
Least busy highways
Least busy single-carriageway highway  | S22 near /Kaliningrad Oblast | 800  | Data from 2023 – the results from 2020 were not considered reliable due to restrictions in crossing the external EU borders during the COVID-19 pandemic.[37][44][45]
Least busy dual-carriageway highway  | A4 near / | 2,200
Least busy highway excluding near-border sections  | S11 Szczecinek bypass | 3,900 – 6,400  |

The new general measurement is being conducted throughout 2025.

## History

[edit]

### Before World War II

[edit]

The network planned prior to WWII Pre-WWII surface on A6 before the reconstruction (photo from 2009) Pre-WWII surface on the southern carriageway of A18 before the reconstruction (photo from 2012)

The first plans of creation of a national highway network in Poland were conceived in the interwar period:

Plans

The main promoter of this concept was Professor Melchior Wladyslaw Nestorowicz of the Warsaw University of Technology, who organized three Road Congresses, during which a group of specialists discussed the creation of the network. On 5 March 1939, in the trade magazine Drogowiec, Professor Nestorowicz proposed a very ambitious plan for the construction of almost 5,000 kilometres of category I and II roads, based on similar programmes in Germany and Italy.[46] Nestorowicz sketched a map of the future system with the following routes:

First class roads would, according to the plans, consist of the following motorways (totalling some 2,500 km (1,553.4 mi):

* Warsaw \- Łódź \- 100 km
* Warsaw – Poznań \- Polish-German border - 350 km
* Warsaw beltway \- 130 km
* Poznań beltway - 80 km
* Gdynia – Bydgoszcz – Łódź – 500 km
* Łódź beltway - 90 km
* Bytow \- Free City of Danzig border - 50 km
* Katowice – Kraków – Lwów \- 375 km
* Warsaw – Lublin \- Lwów – Sniatyn \- Polish-Romanian border - 550 km
* Puławy – Sandomierz – Przemyśl \- 175 km

Second class roads would consist of the following motorways, totalling another 2,295 km (1,430 mi):

* Piotrków Trybunalski \- Kielce \- Sandomierz \- 180 km
* Warsaw – Kielce – Kraków \- 180 km
* Łódź \- Kalisz \- Polish-German border north of Wrocław \- 130 km
* Warsaw – Grodno – Vilnius – Polish - Lithuania - Latvian border near Daugavpils \- 575 km
* Grodno \- Nowogrodek \- Polish-Soviet border near Minsk \- 190 km
* Bydgoszcz – Poznań – Częstochowa \- 350 km
* Katowice – Cieszyn – Polish-Czechoslovak border - 60 km
* Ostrołęka \- Polish-East Prussian border - 50 km
* Grodno \- Polish-Lithuanian border - 40 km
* Grodno \- Brzesc nad Bugiem \- Krasnystaw \- 300 km
* Warsaw – Brzesc nad Bugiem \- 170 km

In 1934, Nazi Germany started the construction of their motorway system, parts of which today form A18 and A4 to Wrocław (Breslau), as well as A6 (Szczecin bypass) and S22 (parts of the planned motorway to Königsberg). About half of them were constructed as single-carriageway with the intention of adding a second carriageway in later years. However, after 1938, warfare expenses meant little money would be invested into any infrastructure and only one 9 km single-carriageway piece west of Gliwice (now A4) was constructed.

Highway sections constructed by Nazi Germany

Signage  | Section  | Length  | Start of construction  | Opening  | Notes
| Krzyżowa () – Krzywa  | 12.3 km (7.6 mi)  | 1934 | 17 October 1937 |
Krzywa – Wrocław | 91 km (56.5 mi)  | 27 September 1936 |
Wrocław – Brzeg (Owczary)  | 34.1 km (21.2 mi)  | 1938 | Southern carriageway only
Ujazd (Nogowczyce) – Łany  | 9.1 km (5.7 mi)  | 1940 | 1942
Łany – Kleszczów (Gliwice)  | 8.8 km (5.5 mi)  | 1936 | 1938
|  – Szczecin-Zachód  | 2.6 km (1.6 mi)  | 1934 | 27 September 1936 |
Szczecin-Zachód – Rzęśnica | 26.6 km (16.5 mi)  | 1938 |
|  – Iłowa  | 37.2 km (23.1 mi)  | 1936 | 1938 | Southern carriageway only
Iłowa – Golnice | 32 km (19.9 mi)  | 1935 | 17 October 1937
Golnice – Krzyżowa () | 5.9 km (3.7 mi)  | 1936 | 1938 |
| Elbląg – Grzechotki  | 51.4 km (31.9 mi)  | 1934 | 1938 | Western carriageway only
Total  | 316.9 km (196.9 mi)
of which 178.5 km (110.9 mi) single carriageway  | Note: Signage of the roads at the time of opening was different.

In Poland, a 28 km stretch between Warlubie and Osiek (now DW214) was constructed in 1937 – 1939 in the motorway standard of the time (today not considered a highway) with a concrete surface, which was designed by Italian engineer Piero Puricelli. The motorway was planned to reach Gdynia, but the outbreak of the Second World War halted the plans.

### 1945 – 1972

[edit]

The Potsdam conference defined the borders for communist Poland, which were very different from the pre-1939 ones. It received the so-called Regained Territories from the former Third Reich with the aforementioned motorway sections (some of them with first carriageway only). Most of the motorway bridges were destroyed by the warfare, but only a few were repaired or rebuilt in the first post-war years. The bridge over Ina river was reconstructed in 1972, and those on S22 only between 1996 and 2003.

Apart from the bridges, almost all the motorways were left in the same condition as they were in 1945 until the mid-1990s. The only road left from Nazi times that was completed by the People's Republic of Poland was a one-carriageway small section between Łęczyca and Lisowo (15 km of what is now DW142), which was built on the previous works of Nazis.

Plans

At the post-war year there were very ambitious plans to make a motorway network for the whole Poland. For example, engineer Eugeniusz Buszma has published his propositions to the network in the magazine "Drogowiec" (1946, issue 1):

1. East – West (Słubice – Warsaw – Białystok) – 680 km
2. North – South (Gdynia – Warsaw – Balkans) – 650 km
3. Silesia – Baltic I (Gdańsk – Łódź – Katowice) – 460 km
4. Pomeranian (Gdańsk – Szczecin) – 280 km
5. Silesian (Wrocław – Katowice – Kraków) – 190 km
6. Mazurian (Kaliningrad – Elbląg – Malbork) – 20 km
7. Silesia – Baltic II (Bydgoszcz – Wrocław) – 260 km
8. Łódź – Wrocław – (Prague) – 310 km
9. Katowice – (Vienna) – 60 km
10. Poznań – Szczecin – 200 km
11. Radom – Lublin – (Lviv) – 220 km

In total, the mileage, according to the proposal, would total more than 3,300 km (2,050 mi).

After the addition of the sections built by the Third Reich the total network length had to be approx. 3700 km. In 1963 the Motorization Council at the Council of Ministers had presented the similar plan plus the motorways: Warsaw-Kraków-Zakopane, Kraków-Przemyśl, Warsaw-Bydgoszcz-Koszalin, Poznań-Koszalin i Warsaw-Terespol (approx. 1250 km).

Despite announcing such pompous plans, no motorway was opened in the meantime.

### In the 1970s

[edit]

S6 in Gdynia, part of Tricity bypass: the oldest expressway in Poland (1st carriageway opened in 1977).

Only in the 1970s did any works start.

Plans

In 1972 it was planned to build:

* the Gliwice-Kraków motorway (now A4)
* the second carriageway of the Wrocław-Gliwice motorway (also A4)
* the Warsaw-Katowice motorway (so-called "Gierkówka", now the S8/A1 road), in the near future

The plans were expanded in 1976 by the following sections:

* Tarnów – Kraków (now A4),
* eastern GOP (Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy) bypass (now S1, northern part),
* Bielsko-Biała – Cieszyn (now S52, southern part),
* Warszawa – Poznań (so-called Olimpijka, now A2),
* Łódź – Piotrków Trybunalski (now A1).

In 1973 – 1976, "Gierkówka" dual carriageway from Warsaw to Katowice (281 km (175 mi)) was built. Originally planned as a motorway, it was in the end constructed by adding another carriageway to the existing road, hence going through many villages and crossing with local roads. The part from Piotrków Trybunalski to Częstochowa (78 km) was constructed on a new route in a motorway alignment, but nonetheless the majority of the crossings between the highway and the other roads were constructed as one-level intersections with no viaducts or overpasses.

Highway sections opened in the 1970s  Signage  | Section  | Length  | Start of construction  | Opening

|
|
|
|

| Piotrków Trybunalski – Częstochowa
substandard (multiple at-grade intersections), constructed on motorway alignment, not signed as a highway | 78 km (48 mi)  | 1973 | 1976
| Tri-city bypass (eastern carriageway)
substandard (two at-grade intersections, then reconstructed when adding a second carriageway in the 1980s)  | 37.7 km (23.4 mi)  | 1973 | 1977
Szczecin-Rzęśnica (end of post-German A6 motorway) – Goleniów
substandard (two at-grade intersections) | 19.3 km (12.0 mi)  | 1976 | 1979
Total  | 57 km (35.4 mi)
of which 37.7 km (23.4 mi) single carriageway

### In the 1980s

[edit]

A4 near Zalas, opened in 1983 (photo after renovation in 2000)

Near the end of the 1970s the first construction of motorways started and continued to the next decade. The roads opened in the 1980s were the first motorways and expressways which generally meet the contemporary standards (at least with respect to their more important attributes), although in multiple cases the poor quality of their construction forced major renovations to be performed as soon as within the first 20 years of operation.[47][48]

The major routes planned as motorways were A1, A2 and A4, while other main routes were planned as expressways. The implementation of these plans, however, came at a very slow pace: throughout the 1980s, only an average of 21 km (13 mi) of highways in the whole country were being opened per year.

Highway sections opened in the 1980s
average: 21 km / year

Signage  | Section  | Length  | Start of construction  | Opening  | Notes
| Tuszyn - Piotrków Trybunalski | 16.1 km (10.0 mi)  | 1978 | 18 December 1989 | Reconstructed 2019 – 2021
| Września - Konin | 35.7 km (22.2 mi) (to Sługocin) | 1977 | 9 October 1985 | Renovated 2002 – 2003
13.5 km (8.4 mi)  | 1986 | 10 November 1988
| Jaworzno \- Kraków (Tyniec)  | 29.6 km (18.4 mi) (Chrzanów \- Kraków / Balice I) | 1976 | 3 January 1983 | Renovated 1999 – 2000
6.1 km (3.8 mi) (Jaworzno \- Chrzanów)  | 1978 | 22 November 1986
7.8 km (4.8 mi) (1st section of Kraków bypass: Balice I - Tyniec) | 1979 | 8 December 1988 |
| Dąbrowa Górnicza \- Tychy | 34.7 km (21.6 mi)  | 1978 | 1983 |
| Tri-city bypass (to Straszyn)  | 32.4 km (20.1 mi)  | 1978 | 1984 | Second carriageway
| Kielce bypass  | 22.9 km (14.2 mi)  | 1974 | 1984 | First carriageway
| Kraków northern bypass: fragment Balice - Zabierzów  | 3.5 km (2.2 mi)  |  | 1986 | Then signed as motorway A4a
| Katowice - Sosnowiec  | 6.8 km (4.2 mi)  | 1978 | 1985 | First completely done expressway
Total  | 209.1 km (129.9 mi) of which 55.3 km (34.4 mi) single carriageway

### In the 1990s

[edit]

The highway network in 1990

In the III Republic of Poland, planned S3 was promoted to motorway A3 (the decision was later reversed) and a plan was introduced (also later reversed) of constructing motorway A8 Łódź – Wrocław – Bolków (now S8/A8/S5). Szczecin bypass (A6) and section Olszyna – Krzywa (then named A12, now A4/A18) were promoted to motorways, even though at that time the majority of their lengths was in bad shape, laid with the original concrete surface from the 1930s with no significant works having been performed on any of them throughout the whole communist period.

Highway sections opened in the 1990s
average: 15 km / year

Signage  | Section  | Length  | Start of construction  | Opening  | Notes
| Katowice \- Jaworzno | 15.9 km (9.9 mi) (Mysłowice \- Jaworzno)  | 1986 | 4 September 1991 | Northern carriageway was opened on 29 November 1990
11.1 km (6.9 mi) (Katowice - Mysłowice) | 1989 | 30 October 1996 |
1.9 km (1.2 mi) (in Katowice)  | ?  | 10 November 1999 |
Kraków bypass (section Tyniec - ul.Kąpielowa)  | 3.5 km (2.2 mi) (to Skawina)  | 1988 | 1993 |
5.4 km (3.4 mi)  | 1993 | 27 October 1995 | A4 had a crossroad with ul. Kąpielowa till 2002, when the bridge was built over it.
\- Zgorzelec | 1.8 km (1.1 mi)  | 1992 | 15 July 1994 |
Krzyżowa - Krzywa  | 10.2 km (6.3 mi)  | ?  | 1995 | Renovated
|  \- Podjuchy  | 12.7 km (7.9 mi)  | 1996 | 1999 | Renovated
| Olszyna \- Królów | 9.6 km (6.0 mi)  | ?  | 1993 | Northern carriageway added and border bridges renovated
Golnice - Krzyżowa  | 5.9 km (3.7 mi)  | 1995 | Renovated both carriageways
|  \- Cieszyn-East  | 5.2 km (3.2 mi)  | 1991 | 1995 |
| Sulechów \- Zielona Góra | 26.8 km (16.7 mi) | 1985 | 1995 | Western carriageway only
| Świecie bypass  | 13 km (8.1 mi)  | 1994 | 1998 | Single carriageway; dual carriageway near the interchanges
| Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki bypass | 14.6 km (9.1 mi)  | 1990 | 1999 |
Miłomłyn bypass  | 5.1 km (3.2 mi)  | 1995 | 1997 | Eastern carriageway only
| Radzymin bypass  | 8.1 km (5.0 mi)  | 1996 | 1998 |
Total  | 151.8 km (94.3 mi) of which 28.8 km (17.9 mi) reconstructed, 48.4 km (30.1 mi) single carriageway

### In the 2000s

[edit]

The highway network in 2000

As of the beginning of 2000, the vast majority of national and international traffic routes were served by regular national roads with at-grade intersections and pedestrian crossings, most of them leading through the centres of cities, towns and villages, and most of them single carriageway. Only the following number of highways was present:

* about 275 km (171 mi) of modern dual-carriageway motorways and expressways (3.5% of the network as planned nowadays),
* about 90 km (56 mi) of single-carriageway expressways,
* about 125 km (78 mi) of not-resurfaced Nazi German motorways from the 1930s,
* about 150 km (93 mi) of not-resurfaced Nazi German motorways on sections where only the first carriageway had been constructed.

#### Before the EU membership

[edit]

A4, Kraków southern bypass, opened in 2003

At the beginning of the 21st century, the tempo of highway construction started to increase. The main focus was on the west–east motorways A4 and A2. In 2002, a long-awaited renovation of the A4 from Krzywa to Wrocław (93 km) has started, which included laying new high quality surface in place of the Nazi German concrete slabs, reconstruction of all the pre-WWII bridges on the motorway and renovation of the viaducts above the motorway.

This is also the period when Poland started introducing motorway tolls, first in 2000 for the A4 section between Mysłowice and Kraków.

Highway sections opened in 2000 – 2003
average: 57 km / year

Signage  | Section  | Length  | Start of construction  | Opening  | Notes
| Poznań Komorniki - Września | 11.2 km (7.0 mi) (to Poznań Krzesiny) | 1998 | 13 September 2003 |
37.3 km (23.2 mi)  | 2002 | 27 November 2003 |
| Wrocław (Bielany) - Gliwice-West (Kleszczów) | 34.1 km (21.2 mi) (to Brzeg)  | 1997 | 16 December 2000 | Southern carriageway reconstructed, northern carriageway constructed
56.6 km (35.2 mi) (to Opole-East)  |
34.3 km (21.3 mi) (to Nogowczyce) | 26 July 2001 |
17.9 km (11.1 mi) (to Kleszczów)  | 2001 | 4 December 2003 | Southern carriageway reconstructed, northern carriageway constructed
Chorzów - Katowice Mikołowska  | 4.4 km (2.7 mi)  | 1998 | 2001 |
Kraków bypass (section ul.Kąpielowa - Wieliczka)  | 7 km (4.3 mi)  | 2000 | 3 September 2003 |
| Śmigiel bypass  | 4.1 km (2.5 mi)  | ?  | 2002 | First carriageway
| Straszyn \- Rusocin | 5.4 km (3.4 mi)  | 2000 | 2001 | Second carriageway
| Białobrzegi bypass  | 7.7 km (4.8 mi)  | 2001 | 2003 |
| Ostrów Mazowiecka bypass  | 7.6 km (4.7 mi)  | 2000 |
Total  | 227.6 km (141.4 mi) of which 9.5 km (5.9 mi) single carriageway

#### In European Union

[edit]

A2, Poznań bypass, opened in 2004 (then widened to 2x3 in 2019) The highway network in 2010

1 May 2004 was a crucial day for the history of motorway construction and that is when the length of highway constructions started to increase the most. One of the major advantages of signing the European Union access document was that Poland could get access to large funds for co-financing the construction of new roads and upgrades of the existing road infrastructure.

These years, the existing scattered pieces of highways began to converge into the basis of the future network:

* until 2004, Katowice and Kraków (linked by A4) were the only pair of Poland's largest cities connected by a highway;
* in 2005, A4 connected Wrocław with Katowice and Kraków, while in 2009 – with Germany;
* in 2006, A2 connected Poznań with Łódź.

A large number of expressway bypasses of towns were also constructed at this time. On many of them, only one carriageway was built, with the allocated space prepared for easy construction of the second carriageway later.

Highway sections opened in 2004 – 2010
average: 151 km / year

Signage  | Section  | Length  | Start of construction  | Opening  | Notes
| Gdańsk (Rusocin) - Grudziądz | 24.2 km (15.0 mi) | 2005 | 2007 |
64.7 km (40.2 mi)  | 2008 |
Sośnica \- Żory | 15.6 km (9.7 mi)  | 22 January 2007 | 20 October 2009 |
7.5 km (4.7 mi)  | 2007  | 15 December 2010 |
| Nowy Tomyśl - Poznań Komorniki  | 50.4 km (31.3 mi)  | 2002 | October 2004 |
Konin - Łódź (Stryków)  | 103.7 km (64.4 mi) | 2004 | July 2006 |
| Krzywa - Wrocław (Bielany)  | 93 km (57.8 mi)  | 2002 | 2004–2006
(in sections) | Renovated both carriageways
Gliwice (Sośnica) - Chorzów Batory  | 15.7 km (9.8 mi)  | 2002 | January 2005 |
Gliwice bypass (Kleszczów \- Sośnica)  | 19.1 km (11.9 mi)  | 2003 | October 2005 |
Zgorzelec  \- Krzyżowa  | 49.7 km (30.9 mi)  | 2006 | August 2009 |
Wieliczka \- Targowisko | 19.5 km (12.1 mi)  | 2007 | 2009 |
| Szczecin Klucz - Szczecin Kijewo  | 7.7 km (4.8 mi)  | 2005 | 2007 | Renovated both carriageways
| Olszyna  \- Golnice  | 71.5 km (44.4 mi)  | 2004 | 2006 | Constructed the northern carriageway alongside the pre-WWII southern carriageway
|  \- Zwardoń - Milówka | 12.0 km (7.5 mi)  | 2002 - 2007  | 2004 - 2010
(in sections) | Single carriageway; then signed S69
Żywiec - Przybędza  | 7.7 km (4.8 mi)  | 2005  | 2007
Pyrzowice airport - Podwarpie  | 12.0 km (7.5 mi)  | 2005  | 2006  | Single carriageway
| Szczecin – Gorzów Wielkopolski | 81.6 km (50.7 mi)  | 2008 | 2010
Gorzów Wielkopolski bypass | 11.9 km (7.4 mi)  | 2003 | 2007 | Single carriageway
Międzyrzecz bypass  | 6.3 km (3.9 mi) | 2004 | 2006
Nowa Sól bypass  | 18 km (11.2 mi)  | 2006 | 2008
| Szubin bypass  | 4.5 km (2.8 mi)  | 2004 | 2006 | Single carriageway
| Słupsk bypass  | 16.3 km (10.1 mi)  | 2008 | 2010 | Single carriageway; dual carriageway near the interchanges
| Jędrzejów bypass  | 5.8 km (3.6 mi)  | 2003 | 2005 | Partially (2.7 km) single carriageway
Nowy Dwór Gdański bypass  | 2.5 km (1.6 mi)  | 2005 | 2007 |
Elbląg bypass  | 4.2 km (2.6 mi)  | 2005 | 2007 |
Grójec bypass  | 8.3 km (5.2 mi)  | 18 October 2006 | 19 September 2008 |
Białobrzegi - Jedlińsk | 15.7 km (9.8 mi)  | 6 July 2006 | 30 June 2008 |
Myślenice \- Lubień | 16.2 km (10.1 mi)  | 2004 | 2009 |
Kielce bypass (northern part)  | 7.1 km (4.4 mi)  | 2007 | 2009 |
Płońsk bypass  | 4.7 km (2.9 mi)  | 28 September 2007 | 3 June 2009 |
Skurów – Białobrzegi | 17.8 km (11.1 mi)  | 2007 | 2010 |
Kraków eastern bypass (first fragment)  | 2.8 km (1.7 mi)  | 2007 | 2010 |
| Oleśnica bypass  | 7.2 km (4.5 mi)  | 2004 | 2006 |
Wyszków bypass  | 12.8 km (8.0 mi)  | 27 February 2006 | 14 November 2008 |
Wyszków - Radzymin | 17.3 km (10.7 mi)  | 8 December 2006 | 31 July 2009 |
Wrocław \- Kobierzyce | 7 km (4.3 mi)  | 2007 | 31 December 2010 |
| Toruń bypass (fragment)  | 12.4 km (7.7 mi)  | 2004 | 2005 | Single carriageway
Kobylanka bypass  | 13.8 km (8.6 mi)  | 2005 | 2007 | Partially (7 km) single carriageway
Stargard bypass  | 13.5 km (8.4 mi)  | 2008 | 2009 |
Bydgoszcz bypass (fragment)  | 10.4 km (6.5 mi)  | 2008 | 2009 |
Wyrzysk bypass  | 7.8 km (4.8 mi)  | 2008 | 2009 | Single carriageway
| Poznań \- Kórnik  | 14.1 km (8.8 mi)  | 2006 | 2009 |
Ostrów Wlkp. bypass (northern part)  | 6.1 km (3.8 mi)  | 2008 | 2009 | Single carriageway
| Piaski bypass  | 4 km (2.5 mi)  | 2002 | 2004 |
Puławy bypass  | 12.7 km (7.9 mi)  | 2005 | 2007 | Partially (8.7 km) single carriageway
| Barczewo – Biskupiec | 20.1 km (12.5 mi)  | 2008 | 2010 | Single carriageway
| Garwolin bypass  | 12.8 km (8.0 mi)  | 2005 | 2007 |
| Międzyrzec Podlaski bypass  | 6.3 km (3.9 mi)  | 2005 | 2008 | Single carriageway
| Elbląg \- Grzechotki / Kaliningrad Oblast | 51.6 km (32.1 mi)  | April 2006 | December 2008 | Single carriageway; constructed in place of a partially destroyed motorway from the 1930s
| Cieszyn \- Bielsko-Biała (Komorowice)  | 28 km (17.4 mi)  | 2002 - 2005  | 2005 - 2007
(in sections) | Then signed S1
Total  | 1,055.6 km (655.9 mi) of which 276.6 km (171.9 mi) single carriageway, 100.7 km (62.6 mi) reconstructed

### 2011 – 2015

[edit]

Rędziński bridge on A8, Wrocław bypass, opened in 2011

In the five years from 2011 to 2015, 1563 kilometers of motorways and expressways were opened – about as much as in the whole prior history of highway construction combined. The main focus was on developing connections between Poland's largest cities, especially those serving as host venues of UEFA Euro 2012, as well as on extending A4 towards Ukraine.

Length of highways opened in 2011 – 2015  Year  | Length  | Notes

|
|

2011  | 313 km (194 mi) |
2012  | 639 km (397 mi) | Of which 195 km (121 mi) were opened before Euro 2012 championship
2013  | 298 km (185 mi) |
2014  | 279 km (173 mi) |
2015  | 34 km (21 mi) |
Total | 1,563 km (971 mi) | Of which 26 km first carriageway, 23 km second carriageway

The sections opened in 2011 – 2015 belonged to the following highways:

* : + 273 km (A1 on the section Gdańsk – Łódź was completed in 2014)
* : + 234 km (A2 on the section Germany – Warsaw was completed in 2012)
* : + 88 km (S3 on the section Szczecin – A2 – Zielona Góra was completed in 2013, except that its older single-carriageway parts remained so until 2017)
* : + 183 km
* : + 138 km
* : \+ 365 km (S8 on the section Wrocław – Łódź was completed in 2014)
* : + 282 km in total

### 2016 – 2020

[edit]

Bridge over Vistula on S7, Kraków eastern bypass, opened in 2017 The highway network in 2020

After the peak of investments before Euro 2012, very few new contracts for road construction were signed in 2012 and 2013. This resulted in a small number of sections being opened in 2015 and 2016, a large share of which were the last delayed fragments originally scheduled for a Euro 2012 opening. In particular:

* In 2016, the last delayed fragment of  between Kraków and Ukraine was opened, making A4 the first major Polish highway completed on its whole length, as well as the first complete border-to-border highway connection.
* Also in 2016, the delayed bypass of Łódź was finished, making  completed on its whole route except for those sections where national road 1 had already been a dual carriageway (see In the 1970s), allowing for a significantly lower priority of constructing the remaining stretch compared to other highways.

Since 2014, the number of signed contracts has risen again, resulting in the number of road openings having risen again since 2017.

Length of highways opened in 2016 – 2020  Year  | Length  | Notes

|
|

2016  | 123 km (76 mi) |
2017  | 295 km (183 mi) |
2018  | 318 km (198 mi) |
2019  | 410 km (255 mi) |
2020  | 135 km (84 mi) |
Total | 1,281 km (796 mi) | Of which 13 km first carriageway, 81 km second carriageway

The sections opened in 2016 – 2020 belonged to the following highways:

* : + 173 km
* : \+ 227 km (S5 on the section Poznań – Wrocław was completed in 2019)
* : + 128 km (S6 on the section Szczecin – Koszalin was completed in 2019)
* : + 213 km
* : + 128 km (S8 on its originally intended route from Wrocław to Białystok was completed in 2019; an extension to Kłodzko was later added to the plans)
* : + 97 km (S17 on the section Warsaw – Lublin was completed in 2020)
* : + 315 km in total (A4 was completed in 2016)

### 2021 – 2025

[edit]

The tunnel section of S2 in Warsaw, opened in 2021 The highway network on 1.06.2025

The high tempo of highway development continued in the 2020s. The main focus was on construction of new highways in the less populated eastern Poland, including the international routes Via Carpatia and Via Baltica.

Length of highways opened, or to be opened, in 2021 – 2025 Year  | Length  | Notes

|
|

2021  | 375 km (233 mi) |
2022  | 267 km (166 mi) |
2023  | 245 km (152 mi) |
2024  | 123 km (76 mi) |
2025  | 280 km (174 mi) | Opened sections and planned openings in 2025[49]
Total | 1,290 km (802 mi) | Of which 7 km first carriageway, 101 km second carriageway

The sections opened, or planned to get opened, in 2021 – 2025 belong to the following highways:

* : + 81 km (A1 was completed in 2022)
* : + 106 km
* : + 104 km (S3 is scheduled to get completed in 2025)
* : + 106 km
* : \+ 191 km (S7 on the section Warsaw – Kraków was completed in 2024; a temporary detour through Kraków north-western bypass will be in use until Kraków eastern bypass is completed in 2026)
* : + 80 km
* : + 70 km (reconstruction of the second carriageway of A18 was completed in 2023)
* : + 163 km (S19 "Via Carpathia" on the section Lublin – Rzeszów was completed in 2022, except that its older fragment with 2+1 lanes will remain so until 2026)
* : \+ 183 km (S61 "Via Baltica" was opened on the whole length in 2024, the second carriageway is scheduled to get completed in 2025)
* : + 206 km in total (S5 was completed in 2022 except its newly planned extensions to Ostróda and Bolków)

## Total length of highways by year

[edit]

Year  | Length of motorways and expressways (end of the year)

|

1936 (then Nazi Germany) | 92 km
1937 (then Nazi Germany) | 104 km and 38 km first carriageway
1938–1945 (then Nazi Germany) | 133 km and 135 km first carriageway (further below not considered as a motorway until addition of the second carriageway)
1939–1945 (Poland) | 28 km (today not considered as a highway)
1945–1976 | 133 km
1977 | 169 km
1978 | 169 km
1979 | 190 km
1980 | 190 km
1981 | 190 km
1982 | 190 km
1983 | 255 km
1984 | 278 km
1985 | 321 km
1986 | 327 km
1987 | 327 km
1988 | 348 km
1989 | 366 km
1990 | 381 km
1991 | 399 km
1992 | 399 km
1993 | 403 km
1994 | 405 km
1995 | 440 km
1996 | 453 km
1997 | 456 km
1998 | 490 km
1999 | 502 km
2000 | 592 km
2001 | 630 km
2002 | 639 km
2003 | 727 km
2004 | 781 km
2005 | 848 km
2006 | 1013 km
2007 | 1083 km
2008 | 1282 km
2009 | 1454 km
2010 | 1560 km
2011 | 1865 km
2012 | 2495 km
2013 | 2805 km
2014 | 3100 km
2015 | 3131 km
2016 | 3252 km
2017 | 3510 km
2018 | 3811 km
2019 | 4214 km
2020 | 4337 km
2021 | 4690 km
2022 | 4933 km
2023 | 5116 km
2024 | 5206 km
2025 | 5486 km (forecast[7])
2026 | 5937 km (forecast[7])
2027 | 6148 km (forecast[7])
2028 | 6545 km (forecast[7])
2029 | approx. 6630 km (plans[50])
2030 | approx. 6800 km (plans[50])
2031 | approx. 7000 km (plans[4][21])
2035 | approx. 8000 km (plans[4][21])
2040 | approx. 8250 km – full network (plans[4])

## See also

[edit]

* Classes and categories of public roads in Poland
* Transport in Poland § Road transport
* List of controlled-access highway systems
* Evolution of motorway construction in European nations

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Note: it does not include some sections in the preplanning phase which are not officially included in the ordinance.
2. ^ a b Major changes in the network (e.g. opening new fragments of roads, signing all contracts for a planned road section) are accounted continuously, while a general update including all the details is done once per year (last: 21 July 2025). 'In total' length statistic is kept consistent as of the last general update, and might hence not be the exact sum of the current state of the table.
3. ^ Some highways can overlap. The table shows data without overlapping sections such that each fragment is counted exactly once, in accordance with how they are attributed in the ministry ordinance,[16] i.e. each common section is attributed to the road with the lower number (in case of two expressways overlapping) or to a motorway (in case of a motorway and an expressway overlapping), except for S12/S17 west of Lublin which is recorded as S17 in the sources.[17]
4. ^ First sections opened in 1976 as a dual carriageway road with at-grade intersections and pedestrian crossings (65 km) and 1989 as a short motorway fragment (17 km). In 2019 – 2022, they were reconstructed into a modern motorway.
5. ^ Aggregate length for A2: 622.1 km (Completed: 78%, construction commenced: 16%)
6. ^ First 48 km opened 1985 – 1988, reconstructed to modern standard in 2003.
Eastern half of S2 in Warsaw was opened in 2020 and 2021.
7. ^ Aggregate length for S3: 454.9 km (Completed: 85.8%, construction commenced: 14.2%)
8. ^ The 1st carriageway on three sections (62 km in total) was opened in 1995 – 2008.
9. ^ Aggregate length for S5 including Ostróda and Bolków extensions (added to the plans in 2015/2019): 508 km (Completed: 70.3%)
10. ^ The 1st carriageway on three short sections (town bypasses) was opened in 1998 – 2006.
11. ^ Aggregate length for S8 including Kłodzko extension (added to plans in 2019): 616 km (Completed: 87.5%)
12. ^ a b Short fragments (town bypasses) constructed earlier in the 2000s.
13. ^ a b Aggregate length for S17: 322.5 km (Completed: 57%, construction commenced: 28.5%)
14. ^ The southern carriageway was constructed between 1935 and 1938 by Nazi Germany. The northern carriageway was constructed alongside it between 2004 and 2006, but the road was not marked as a motorway (except for a short fragment with both carriageways reconstructed), as only the west-bound traffic could use the motorway-quality carriageway, while the east-bound traffic kept using the old carriageway with concrete slabs from the 1930s. The southern carriageway was reconstructed to modern motorway standard between 2020 and 2023 and the whole route was then designated as a motorway.
15. ^ In place of a largely destroyed Nazi German motorway (also single-carriageway) from the 1930s.
16. ^ a b Sections under active construction and sections under a joint Design & Build contract.
17. ^ a b c

Design phase, if it is being conducted as a part of the predesign process rather than as a part of a design-build contract.

Late predesign phase, i.e. after having obtained environmental decision (0–2 years to finish).

In the process of obtaining environmental decision (including if a non-final decision has been issued and is being appealed from).

Early predesign phase aimed to determine the highway's route (Polish: Studium Korytarzowe, STEŚ).

18. ^ The national road 6 is currently routed through the Szczecin Southern Bypass (motorway A6) and then through expressway S6. Ultimately, after completion of the Szczecin Western Bypass, this new route will become S6 (it is not clear if A6 then retains its number and there will be two parallel routes with number 6, or if renumbering takes place). Until S6 gets rerouted, the existing route 6 is accounted jointly in the table.
19. ^ Until the remaining part of the Tricity 2nd bypass (S7) is complete, the transit traffic between Gdynia and Gdańsk is carried by the 1st Tricity bypass (S6).
20. ^ For the time of construction of the Kraków eastern bypass, S7 is temporarily signposted on the route through the northern (S52) and western (A4) Kraków bypass. After the completion of the works, it will get signposted on its planned final route through the eastern and southern bypass.
21. ^ The road is planned to be constructed with expressway parameters and dual-carriageway profile at least up to Jabłonka (8 km away from the Slovak border). It is being considered whether the last 8 kilometers would also be constructed with expressway parameters or in a lower standard (with at-grade intersections and/or single-carriageway profile), which might depend on the traffic forecasts and the decisions regarding the planned standard of the cross-border connection to R3 in Slovakia.[22]
22. ^ The section from Rabka-Zdrój (current terminus of S7) to the Slovak border is planned to get completed by 2032.[22] From Kraków (A4) to Myślenice (current beginning of S7) the existing dual-carriageway DK7 is gradually geting upgraded with the aim of removing all at-grade intersections and pedestrian crossings by 2030. A separate expressway route would be constructed on this section by 2038, as the last fragment of the currently-planned highway network.[23]
23. ^ Aggregate length for S12: 328.6 km (Completed: 27.6%, construction commenced: 14.2%)
24. ^ Single carriageway expressways which are currently not planned for widening to dual carriageways: 52.2 km of S22, 20.8 km of S1
25. ^ For a private car up to 3.5 tons, for the whole distance

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "LEX". sip.lex.pl. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
2. ^ Here and in the following figures, construction of 1st or 2nd carriageway is accounted as half-length for consistency of the summed results. Sections constructed by Nazi Germany are accounted for the dates of their reconstruction to modern highways.
3. ^ "Wybierz województwo - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl". Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
4. ^ a b c d e f "Rządowy Plan Budowy Dróg do 2030 roku". www.gov.pl.
5. ^ "Autostrady :: Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Strona Główna". www.gddkia.gov.pl.
6. ^ Including design–build contracts; see the List of motorways and expressways for details on the phases of construction and design.
7. ^ a b c d e f "List of ongoing road contracts signed by GDDKiA".
8. ^ a b c https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20220001518 [bare URL]
9. ^ "Rozporządzenie Rady Ministrów z dnia 15 maja 2004 r. w sprawie sieci autostrad i dróg ekspresowych". prawo.sejm.gov.pl. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
10. ^ "Rozporządzenie Rady Ministrów z dnia 20 października 2009 r. zmieniające rozporząsdzenie w sprawie sieci autostrad i dróg ekspresowych". prawo.sejm.gov.pl.
11. ^ a b "Dziennik Ustaw 2019 r. poz. 1819". www.dziennikustaw.gov.pl.
12. ^ to Ostróda in 2015 and to Bolków in 2019
13. ^ to Kłodzko in 2019
14. ^ to Wołomin in 2015
15. ^ "Zmiany w rozporządzeniu w sprawie sieci autostrad i dróg ekspresowych - Ministerstwo Infrastruktury i Budownictwa". mib.gov.pl. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
16. ^ http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20180000741: Appendix 2, footnote 1 (in Polish)
17. ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). www.gddkia.gov.pl. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
18. ^ "Zestawienie realizacji autostrad i dróg ekspresowych w Polsce". Retrieved 26 December 2019.
19. ^ "Mapa budowy dróg ekspresowych i autostrad". Retrieved 26 December 2019.
20. ^ "Map of construction of Polish highways - SISKOM & SSC". ssc.siskom.waw.pl. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
21. ^ a b c d e "Map of construction of Polish highways - GDDKiA". gov.pl. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
22. ^ a b "Spotkania konsultacyjne w sprawie budowy odcinka Rabka - Chyżne" (PDF).
23. ^ "Nowa Zakopianka - w oczekiwaniu na wariant społeczny - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl".
24. ^ a b "PEŁNY ZAPIS PRZEBIEGU POSIEDZENIA Komisji infrastruKtury (nr 20) z dnia 9 kwietnia 2024 r" [FULL RECORD OF THE MEETING OF the Infrastructure Committee (No. 20) of April 9, 2024] (PDF) (in Polish). KANCELARIA SEJMU Biuro Komisji Sejmowych. 9 April 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2024.
25. ^ "Umowa na analizę dla rozbudowy A4 Wrocław – Krzyżowa podpisana! :: Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Serwis informacyjny". www.gddkia.gov.pl.
26. ^ "S3 Miękowo - Rzęśnica :: Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Serwis informacyjny". www.gddkia.gov.pl.
27. ^ "Miekowo Rześnica". Miekowo Rześnica.
28. ^ "Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl". Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad.
29. ^ "A6 Szczecin Dąbie - Rzęśnica :: Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Serwis informacyjny". www.gddkia.gov.pl.
30. ^ "Toll-free travel on motorway sections managed by GDDKiA (A2 Konin-Stryków and A4 Wrocław-Sośnica) for light vehicles from 1 July 2023" (in Polish). e-TOLL. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
31. ^ "Cała autostrada A1 bezpłatna dla samochodów osobowych i motocykli - Ministerstwo Infrastruktury - Portal Gov.pl".
32. ^ "Vehicles subject to compulsory electronic toll settlement - viaTOLL". www.viatoll.pl. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
33. ^ a b "Autopay - Comfortable automatic payments - Autopay".
34. ^ a b "Koniec stania przy bramkach. Autopay na państwowych autostradach od 1 grudnia - Autopay".
35. ^ "Types of vehicles for which toll is collected".
36. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2020.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
37. ^ a b c https://www.gov.pl/attachment/f49c90ff-eb1c-469c-8ab4-04bf91ac7db0 [bare URL PDF]
38. ^ The measurement analysis defines a regular single-carriageway road as overburdened if recorded average annual traffic exceeds 15'000 vehicles per day, see "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2020.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
39. ^ https://www.archiwum.gddkia.gov.pl/userfiles/articles/g/GENERALNY_POMIAR_RUCHU_2010/0.1.1.5_Synteza_GPR_2010.pdf [bare URL PDF]
40. ^ "Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl".
41. ^ "Generalny Pomiar Ruchu 2020/2021 - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl".
42. ^ https://www.archiwum.gddkia.gov.pl/frontend/web/userfiles/articles/s/stacje-ciaglych-pomiarow-ruchu-d_41706/WARSZAWA/2023/14018_2023.pdf [bare URL PDF]
43. ^ "W kwietniu przetarg w sprawie drogi między Ruczajem a Skawiną. Co z tramwajem?". 25 July 2023.
44. ^ https://www.archiwum.gddkia.gov.pl/frontend/web/userfiles/articles/s/stacje-ciaglych-pomiarow-ruchu-d_41706/OLSZTYN/2023/28802_2023.pdf [bare URL PDF]
45. ^ https://www.archiwum.gddkia.gov.pl/frontend/web/userfiles/articles/s/stacje-ciaglych-pomiarow-ruchu-d_41706/RZESZOW/2023/18804_2023.pdf [bare URL PDF]
46. ^ "Zamów domenę". domains24.pl.
47. ^ "Historia - Autostrada Wielkopolska SA". Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
48. ^ "Historia przedsięwzięcia". Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A.
49. ^ "Ponad 400 km – tyle dróg planujemy oddać do ruchu w 2025 roku - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl". Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
50. ^ a b "Przetargi planowane do ogłoszenia w 2025 r. - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl". Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad. Retrieved 26 February 2025.

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Highways in Poland at Wikimedia Commons

* General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (in Polish, some information also in English)

* v
* t
* e

National roads in Poland

Motorways|

* A1
* A2
* A4
* A6
* A8
* A18
* A50

Expressways|

* S1
* S2
* S3
* S5
* S6
* S7
* S8
* S10
* S11
* S12
* S14
* S16
* S17
* S19
* S22
* S50
* S51
* S52
* S61
* S74
* S79
* S86

National roads|

* 1
* 2
* 3
* 4
* 5
* 6
* 7
* 8
* 9
* 10
* 11
* 12
* 13
* 14
* 15
* 16
* 17
* 18
* 19
* 20
* 21
* 22
* 23
* 24
* 25
* 26
* 27
* 28
* 29
* 30
* 31
* 32
* 33
* 34
* 35
* 36
* 37
* 38
* 39
* 40
* 41
* 42
* 43
* 44
* 45
* 46
* 47
* 48
* 49
* 50
* 51
* 52
* 53
* 54
* 55
* 56
* 57
* 58
* 59
* 60
* 61
* 62
* 63
* 64
* 65
* 66
* 67
* 68
* 70
* 71
* 72
* 73
* 74
* 75
* 76
* 77
* 78
* 79
* 80
* 81
* 82
* 83
* 84
* 85
* 86
* 87
* 88
* 89
* 90
* 91
* 92
* 93
* 94
* 95
* 96
* 97

Former|

* A3
* A12
* A41
* S47
* S69
* 69
* 98

* v
* t
* e

Motorways in Europe

Sovereign states|

* Albania
*   * Armenia
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Georgia
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
*   * Ireland
*   * Italy
* Kazakhstan
* Latvia
*   * Lithuania
* Luxembourg
*   * Moldova
*   * Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
*   * Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom

States with limited
recognition|

* Abkhazia
* Kosovo
* Northern Cyprus
* South Ossetia
* Transnistria

Dependencies and
other entities|

* Åland
* Faroe Islands
* Gibraltar
* Guernsey
* Isle of Man
* Jersey
* Svalbard

* v
* t
* e

Roads in Europe

Sovereign states|

* Albania
* Andorra
* Armenia
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Georgia
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
*   * Italy
* Kazakhstan
* Latvia
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom

States with limited
recognition|

* Abkhazia
* Kosovo
* Northern Cyprus
* South Ossetia
* Transnistria

Dependencies and
other entities|

* Åland
* Faroe Islands
* Gibraltar
* Guernsey
* Isle of Man
* Jersey
* Svalbard

*[GTC]: Gdańsk Transport Company
*[AWSA]: Autostrada Wielkopolska
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*[t]: Discuss this template
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