3 km in a tunnel on S8? GDDKiA presented three options for the section between Wrocław and Kłodzko

In short:

GDDKiA has presented three possible routes for the final missing section of S8

The shortest is about 15.4 km long and involves building a 3-kilometer tunnel under the Bardzkie Mountains

The other options are routes between Wrocław and Kłodzko, ranging in length from 15 to 23 km depending on the variant

The cost of the project will be nearly 9 million zlotys

Information sessions for residents are currently underway

Engineers are working on one of the most challenging sections of the new S8 from Wrocław to Kłodzko. This is the stretch between the Bardo interchange and the Kłodzko interchange, where the highway must pass through the difficult terrain of the Bardzkie Mountains.

There are three distinctly different solutions under consideration. One routes the highway more broadly through the area of Złoty Stok, another crosses the mountains using a shorter tunnel, while the third opts for the most direct route — about 3 km underground.

The estimated length of the entire section ranges from about 15 to 23 km depending on the variant. The goal is to create a two-lane expressway with two lanes in each direction plus emergency lanes.

Variant W1. The longest route, without a long tunnel

Variant W1 is the longest. The route is approximately 23.5 km long. Starting at the Bardo interchange, it would head south and pass over a railway line, a county road, and the valley of the Nysa Kłodzka river. An overpass about 1.7 km long would be needed to cross this area.

The expressway would continue along the eastern side of Janowiec, then pass through agricultural and forested areas toward Złoty Stok. A junction at Złoty Stok is planned around the 10-kilometer mark, with an intersection with DK46 not far thereafter.

The route would then follow DK46, bypass Podzamek, and head toward Jaszkówka. Another junction is planned there. Further on, the S8 would pass by Wojciechowice and reach the Boguszyn junction.

This option relies minimally on tunnels, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to build. Numerous viaducts, overpasses, and other structures would still be needed to allow the expressway to pass through the heavily hilly terrain.

Option W2: 18.8 km with a tunnel through the Góry Bardzkie

Route W2 initially overlaps with the first proposal. Here too, a bridge approximately 1.7 kilometers long is planned to cross the Nysa Kłodzka valley, followed by a path along the eastern side of Janowiec.

Around kilometer 6, the two routes diverge. W2 turns west and crosses the central part of the Góry Bardzkie in a much more direct manner.

A few bridges and a tunnel about 900 meters long are planned for the mountain section. Around kilometer 12, the road would enter flatter terrain in the Wojciechowice area.

From there, the route would lead toward the current DK8 and the planned Boguszyn interchange. Just before Kłodzko, another large structure is planned—a bridge approximately 1.6 kilometers long that would allow crossing the railway line and the Nysa Kłodzka. The entire W2 route is about 18.8 kilometers long.

Route W3: Three kilometers below Góra Bardzka

The shortest and simultaneously most technically challenging option (tunnels…) is W3.

After passing Janowiec, the S8 would not head further east but rather almost straight toward the Góry Bardzkie massif. About 2.5 km from the start of the planned section, there would be a tunnel entrance beneath Góra Bardzka.

The tunnel would be approximately 3 km long. After emerging from beneath the mountain, vehicles would almost immediately encounter another large structure—a bridge or viaduct about 870 m long. Further on, the route would approach the current DK8 near Dębowina.

Between kilometers 7 and 10, the S8 would run along the southeastern side of an airfield, utilizing a series of smaller bridges and viaducts. The Boguszyn interchange would be located around kilometer 11.

The continuation toward Kłodzko would be similar to route W2. The road would need to cross the railway line and the valley of the Nysa Kłodzka river again, then reach the Kłodzko junction.

The total length would be around 15.4 km. Compared to W1, this means a reduction in distance of over 8 km, but at the cost of constructing by far the longest tunnel among all the analyzed options.

Three different ways to reach the mountains

The differences between the proposals show why choosing the S8 route in this area requires such thorough analysis.

W1 is the longest and takes a wider path through the area of Złoty Stok. W2 shortens the route by passing through the Góry Bardzkie with a tunnel about 900 meters long. W3 is the most direct route, but it requires digging a tunnel about 3 km long as well as building several large bridges.

GDDKiA has not yet indicated which option will be chosen. All options are to be compared in terms of technical, cost, environmental, and social aspects. For tunnel-based options, geological and hydrogeological studies will also be of particular importance.

There is a meeting in Bardo today. Złoty Stok tomorrow.

The first series of information meetings with residents is currently underway. The first one took place yesterday, September 28, at the Kłodzko Municipality Office.

Today, September 29, it’s the turn of Bardo municipality. The meeting will start at 5:00 PM in the village hall in Dzbanów at Dzbanów 4. On the same day, from 9:00 to 14:00, there will be a designer’s office hour at the City and Municipality Office in Bardo at Rynku 2.

Tomorrow, September 30, the meeting will take place at 5:00 PM at the City Office in Złoty Stok at Rynku 22. A designer’s office hour is also scheduled from 9:00 to 14:00.

The final meeting in this round will be held on October 1 at 5:00 PM at the Local Activity Center in Kłodzko at Waleriana Łukasińskiego Street 43. The designer will be there earlier, from 9:00 to 14:00, in room 200 on the second floor.

Comments can still be submitted in October

Residents do not have to submit their comments only during meetings. Submissions can also be sent later, with the deadline depending on the specific municipality.

For the rural municipality of Kłodzko, the deadline is October 12, for Bard it is October 13, for Złoty Stok it is October 14, and for the city of Kłodzko it is October 15.

Feedback can be submitted through the form on the project website, by regular mail, e-Doręczenia, or email. The submissions will later be analyzed in terms of technical feasibility, environmental, legal, and financial considerations.

We still have to wait for the new S8

The three variants shown are part of the technical-economic-environmental study. GDDKiA signed a contract for its preparation in March 2026 with the company Databout.

The contract is worth nearly 9 million zł, with 36 months allocated for preparing the documentation. The next important step will be obtaining the environmental impact decision, which, according to the current schedule, is expected by the end of 2029.

The final route will be determined earlier, with current plans targeting 2028. The construction work itself is preliminarily scheduled for the years 2033–2035. However, this is a distant timeline that may still change at this stage.

This is the last gap on S8 between Wrocław and Kłodzko

The Bardo–Kłodzko section is of particular importance as it is the last missing piece in the planned express route connecting Wrocław to the Kłodzko Basin.

The remaining sections between Wrocław and Bardo are already in an advanced stage of construction. The Ząbkowice Śląskie – Bardo section is set to open in the first half of 2028, Niemcza – Ząbkowice Śląskie in the second half of 2028, and Łagiewniki – Niemcza in the second half of 2029.

The new S8 is intended to take over a significant portion of traffic currently using DK8, including transit traffic. This will result in fewer cars passing through the towns located along the current route.

For now, however, the most important question remains regarding the road’s route: a wider path through the area of Złoty Stok, a shorter tunnel through the Góry Bardzkie, or 3 km beneath Góra Bardzka.

Piotr Sobczyk