On 04.04.2022 a ceremony was held to mark the start of construction work on the section between the Rzeszow Południe and Babica interchanges of the S19 highway in the Pre-Carpathian Voivodeship in Poland. The Design&Build contract was awarded for over EUR474.75 million (2.2 billion Polish Slotians) to the consortium comprising Mostostal Warszawa and Acciona Construcción. Work will be completed in 2026.
The new 10.3 km section of the dual carriageway motorway, with two lanes in each direction, will involve the construction of a trumpet junction at Babica, near the junction of state roads DK19 and DW988, several engineering works, including a 2.2 km tunnel, six flyovers, two viaducts on the S19, a level crossing on the railway line along DK19, three wildlife crossings and a subway on the S19. Also planned are the construction of two passenger service areas (MOPs) in Lutoryz, two landing platforms for the Polish Air Medical Rescue helicopters, and the first tunnel management centre in the Precarpathian Voivodeship.
The 2255 m-long tunnel will have two tubes, each 12.4 m in diameter, connected by 15 bypasses and an additional emergency exit. The tunnel will be excavated with a 15 m-diameter TBM working at a maximum depth of 100 m.
This section of the S19 is one of the most technologically difficult works ever built in Poland: the complex geology (Carpathian flysch) along the route and the hilly terrain require the construction of high overpasses and a tunnel.
The contractor has already carried out geodetic mapping of the route. Trees and bushes were cut down. Dehumidification of the area and construction of the piling platforms has started. Interferences (energy, telecommunications, water and sewage) have been removed and the construction of foundations for the 400 kV and 110 kV power lines is underway.
In the next few weeks, civil engineering works will begin, including the containment of landslides adjacent to the tunnel portals and the protection of the tunnel portals.
Thanks to the S19, passing traffic will pass outside the centre of Rzeszow, reducing accidents, noise and exhaust fumes. Travel time from Rzeszow to the Slovakian border will decrease and road safety will increase.
Click pl/28 for tunnelbuilder archive. Link to https://www.gov.pl/, to https://www.mostostal.waw.pl/en, to https://www.acciona.com and to https://s19rzeszow-babica.pl/. 14/22.
