Drivers on A2 will be furious. The 70 km/h speed limit and cameras almost throughout the route between Warsaw and Łódź
The A2 highway between Warsaw and Łódź will soon become the site of one of the largest road construction projects in recent years. The General Directorate of National Roads and Highways is preparing to expand the route with additional lanes, and once construction begins, drivers must deal not only with narrowed roads and speed restrictions but also with exceptionally strict monitoring.
According to CANARD and industry media cited by „Rzeczpospolita,“ new section-based speed measurement systems (OPP) will be installed on the section under repair. One of these systems will be the most advanced in the country. It will cover a stretch between Koszajec and Michałówek and measure the average speed over approximately 48 kilometers in both directions. This means that a driver entering the measurement zone just after Pruszków will remain under camera surveillance almost all the way until exiting toward Łowicz and Skierniewice.
But this is not the only such extensive control system. A second OPP will be installed between Dzierzgow and Niesułkow. It will cover about 30 km in the direction of Łódź, while in the direction of Warsaw it will cover about 29–31 km, depending on the direction and location of the measurement points.
OPP during modernization for safety reasons
The new devices are set to be installed as part of the highway modernization, which will take place with traffic continuing to flow. For this reason, a speed limit of 70 km/h will be imposed along the entire length of the section under renovation, which is half lower than the current limit on the highway.
GDDKiA emphasizes that the safety of workers carrying out the project is an absolute priority. As stated in the official statement by management, “the expansion of highway A2 between Łódź and Warsaw will be one of the most difficult and complex projects in recent years.” According to the road authority, work will be carried out with traffic ongoing, which requires “developing and implementing a complex and highly precise traffic management plan to ensure the most efficient flow of vehicles.”
Work Schedule
The scale of this project is truly impressive. The expansion will cover a total of 92 km of road, with nearly 89 km dedicated to adding additional lanes. The work is divided into four sections: from the Łódź Północ interchange to Łyszkowice, from Łyszkowice to the border between Łódź and Mazowieckie voivodeships, then to Grodzisk Mazowiecki, and from Grodzisk to the Konotopa interchange near Warsaw.
The reason for this investment is simple. Portal Samorządowy notes that traffic volume on A2 has already reached the limit of the current infrastructure. As GDDKiA previously stated, traffic on the most congested sections of the highway reaches around 100,000 vehicles per day. “Adding additional lanes is therefore necessary,” the agency argued.
Upon completion of the modernization, drivers will have three lanes of traffic between Łódź and Warsaw, and even four on the most congested sections. According to information provided by GDDKiA, the highway will also be equipped with renewable energy systems to support its operation.
Reduced Speeds
However, before drivers can experience the benefits of this investment, they will have to drive through construction sites for several months. With a speed limit of 70 km/h, this means there will be no room for brief acceleration or subsequent deceleration in front of cameras over nearly 50 km. This time, the average speed will be measured almost throughout the entire stretch between Warsaw and the central part of the modernized highway section.
Oskar Włostowski