GDDKiA tenders design work for northeast Rzeszów bypass, bids open 18 November

The tender

The Rzeszów branch of the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) announced on Monday, 12 October, a tender for the design documentation of the northeast bypass of Rzeszów. The new road will connect national road 97 (DK97) with national road 94 (DK94) and improve access to the A4 motorway and the S19 expressway. According to spokeswoman Joanna Rarus, the contractor selected in the procedure will prepare the feasibility study (STEŚ), obtain the environmental decision and run information campaigns for residents. Bids will be opened on 18 November.

Purpose of the bypass

Rarus said the main goal is to improve transit and passenger traffic between DK94, the A4 motorway and the S19 expressway. The bypass should also relieve congestion on DK97, particularly at the Pobitno roundabout and the Jacek Kuroń roundabout. The road is planned as a GP class road (main accelerated traffic) with a load capacity of 11.5 tonnes per axle. It is also meant to relieve the northeastern part of the city, improve safety and traffic flow, and open new development possibilities.

Route and public consultations

The exact alignment and length are not yet fixed. Rarus said the route variant will be worked out during the preparation of the documentation and public consultations, which the tender now starts.

The announcement of the tender starts the process of selecting the route variant of the new road, which will be worked out at the stage of preparing the documentation and social consultations.

The Regional Environmental Protection Director in Rzeszów will organise additional public consultations while the environmental decision is being issued. The final course of the road and its exact length will be determined only after the documentation work is finished.

Three funding stages

The project rests on an agreement signed in January this year between GDDKiA and the Rzeszów authorities, which divided the work into three stages. The first stage, covering the STEŚ and the final environmental decision, will be financed entirely by the city of Rzeszów. The second stage, preparing elements of the programme concept and carrying out geological surveys, is financed by GDDKiA. The third stage covers the tender and construction under a design-and-build system, and its funding will be set by a separate agreement between the city and GDDKiA, depending on the final route.