The ceremonial opening of the site as well as the symbolic groundbreaking was performed by Cezary Grabarczyk, the Minister of Infrastructure. During the ceremony Bishop Piotr Krupa of Pelplin blessed the construction site. The ceremony was attended by a great number of guests, among whom were representatives of the provincial and local government authorities led by Piotr Calbecki, Governor of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province as well as Rafał Bruski, Head of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province.

“Today’s ceremony is a reward for our enormous efforts and many years of negotiations with the government. It is also proof that Public-Private Partnership is possible,” said Torbjörn Nohrstedt, President of the Management Board of Gdańsk Transport Company. “Today we commence the implementation of the next phase of the project. We are facing a great challenge, and yet I am convinced that we will overcome it, so drivers in three years’ time, will be able to drive comfortably and safely along the modern motorway to Toruń.”

As a matter of fact, the groundbreaking started the preparation stage for Phase II of the project. Major construction works with the use of heavy equipment are to begin next spring.

The scope of the project covers the construction of a new lane of the motorway from Nowe Marzy interchange to Lubicz interchange (51.72 km) including the crossing over the Vistula. Within the scope of the construction is also the modernisation and completion of the partly completed length from Lubicz interchange to Czerniewice interchange (10.7 km) as well as the completion of the bridges across the Vistula in Toruń and the river Drwęca.

Within the scope of the project are five interchanges (including interchange Warlubie located on Phase I), four pairs of service areas, a motorway maintenance centre near Toruń, and six toll plazas. Also, 51 new engineering structures are to be built including 3 large bridges. One near Grudziadz will be the longest bridge in Poland in its kind. In addition, the modernisation of 15 engineered structures is planned.

The cost of building 1 kilometre of the motorway is EUR 11.7 m, whereas the cost of construction of the three bridges mentioned above amounts to EUR 191 m. The contractor for Phase II of the project is Skanska-NDI joint venture, also responsible for the implementation of Phase I of the scheme. The completion of the project is planned for December 2011.

Gdańsk Transport Company will soon finish the implementation of Phase I of the project, e.g. the 90-km stretch from Rusocin to Nowe Marzy. In December 2007, the first two sections of the A1 Motorway (25 km) of the Rusocin-Swarożyn length were put into operation. The target for opening of the remaining sections (65 km) between Swarożyn and Nowe Marzy has been set for mid October this year.