A road surprise ahead of All Saints' Day. They will open a new section of S7 in Krakow tomorrow
In the article
A new section of S7 will open on October 30.
Almost 1.6 km of the route runs along the viaducts at the Mistrzejowice interchange.
This is not yet the full opening of the interchange – additional connections are set to open in late November and December.
The General Directorate of National Roads and Highways (GDDKiA) confirmed that on Friday, October 30, drivers will be able to use another section of the S7 expressway in Krakow. This involves just under 3 km of route running through the under-construction Mistrzejowice interchange.
This date cannot be considered coincidentally unimportant. The opening comes just before All Saints’ Day weekend, when traffic volume in Krakow and on roads leading through Małopolska increases significantly.
The most spectacular part of the new crossing is the nearly 1.6-kilometer long viaduct in Mistrzejowice. It is one of the largest structures of this type in Kraków. Part of the structure was built using the long-span construction method, and the viaduct passes over, among other things, a railway line.
Two lanes in each direction
The traffic diversion is scheduled for Friday between 12:00 and 14:00. During this time, the contractor will move barriers and adjust the traffic organization from the sides of Kielce, Nowa Huta, and Grębałów.
On the viaducts themselves, drivers will have two lanes in each direction. A speed limit of 80 km/h will apply there.
This does not mean that the entire section will immediately become a fully functional, completed expressway. It will still be a route through construction areas. On the section between the Mistrzejowice and Grębałów interchanges, a speed limit of 40 km/h will apply in some areas, and traffic management will remain temporary.
What changes will the opening of S7 in Mistrzejowice bring?
Drivers coming from Kielce and Warsaw will benefit the most. Once the viaducts are open, it will be possible to continue on S7 toward Nowa Huta, the eastern part of Kraków, and further towards highway A4.
This should also relieve pressure on Kocmyrzowska Street and local roads in Prusy and Zastów. Currently, they serve as an informal detour for the missing section of S7 between Raciborowice and Grębałów.
The changes started as early as Thursday, October 29. GDDKiA opened additional road elements in the area of the Mistrzejowice II roundabout, allowing access from S7 to the local road network.
On Friday around 3:00 PM, the Łowińskiego street between the roundabout at the Grębałów interchange and Ujastek street is also set to be opened. Traffic will be allowed in both directions there.
This is not the end of construction
Drivers should not consider Friday’s opening as the completion of the entire project.
Not all routes at the Mistrzejowice interchange will be available immediately. In particular, the full set of connections between S7 and Kraków’s Northern Ring Road, namely the expressway S52, has not yet been activated.
GDDKiA plans to open the remaining connections at the turn of November and December. Only then will it be possible to fully utilize the interchange and complete Kraków’s road ring.
This is an important stage, as once the entire route is completed, drivers coming from Rzeszów, Katowice, or Warsaw will be able to bypass Kraków’s center using the expressway network. The ring road will be nearly 60 kilometers long and will primarily rely on the A4 motorway as well as the S7 and S52 expressways.
The last missing piece of this major project
The Mistrzejowice interchange is part of the 18.3-kilometer section of S7 from Widoma to Kraków. Most of this route has already been opened to drivers.
The contract for designing and building this section is worth nearly 1.49 billion złoty. One of the last remaining elements was the complex route in Mistrzejowice, where S7 meets S52 and the local road network.
The construction was complicated not only by the dense urban infrastructure. A railway line, Zesławickie Lagoons, and hills are located in the vicinity, so a complex network of viaducts and connections had to be fitted into a small area.
Even rescue services conducted drills on the new viaducts before they were opened. The State Fire Service simulated scenarios such as a bus accident, a fire, and the need to evacuate people from hard-to-reach parts of the structure.
For now, it’s better to rely on signs than navigation
The first days after the change in traffic organization may require drivers to be especially careful. GDDKiA warns that the layout of the junction is complex, and maps in navigation systems may not be updated immediately.
If the driver chooses the wrong lane or exit, they should avoid making sudden maneuvers. There are additional junctions nearby that allow for a U-turn without having to travel dozens of kilometers back.
The opening on Friday does not conclude the construction of S7 in this part of Kraków, but it is very good news for drivers ahead of the All Saints’ weekend. Instead of another detour, they will have nearly 3 km of new expressway and access to one of the city’s most impressive road overpasses.
Piotr Sobczyk