Tuesday 16 August 2016

Karczunkowska about to get bisected

Preparation work has been going on for a couple of months, but now closure of the railway crossing at W-wa Jeziorki looking like it's going ahead. Below: a new sign appeared this afternoon, warning motorists that road closure is planned from 18 August. That's Thursday.


I somehow doubt this will happen - there's no word yet on ZTM's website about the re-routing of the 715 and 809 buses that cross the tracks here - the new bus stops along ul. Baletowa have been built... but await signs, shelters, benches, timetables, waste bins etc.

Meanwhile (and thanks to Dr Marcin for the tip-off), the bus loop for the 209, L39 and term-time 319 buses by the station is being temporarily relocated by the Biedronka store (below), a full 350m from the platform at W-wa Jeziorki. Minor inconvenience for commuters using both modes of public transport. This work must have been done today, as yesterday was a public holiday and I was here on Sunday.


Below: photo taken looking west towards the existing bus loop (click to enlarge to see a bus standing over there); behind the bus loop the old, soon to be demolished, island platform at W-wa Jeziorki station. The new road, that will carry traffic towards the viaduct over the tracks, will be to the left of the drainage ditch that runs through the centre of the photo. It will cut through the existing bus loop.
Now, given it took three years and one month from start to finish of the viaduct carrying ul. Poloneza over the S2 expressway, plus another ten months after that to link the viaduct to ul. Ludwinowska with asphalt, something tells me this road closure will be an inconvenience for years to come.


There are only two possible detours. The southern one, via Nowa Iwiczna and ul. Krasickiego, will take you along a busy street with a 30km/h speed limit, lots of pedestrians, cyclists and schoolchildren. The northern route, via Dawidy and ul. Baletowa, has been newly widened at the eastern end between ul. Farbiarska and Puławska, allowing buses to use it, and with traffic lights to allow a left turn if you're heading to town. To get from one side of the tracks to the other by car (say, from ul. Gogolińska to ul. Buszycka), mean a 9.9km detour via Nowa Iwiczna, or an 8.7km detour via Dawidy. Click to enlarge.


Stacja Piaseczno on Facebook explains that the closure will not last the entire duration of the viaduct's construction. After preparatory work is done on the level crossing, it will be re-opened as a temporary measure until the viaduct is ready. However, we can expect further temporary closures during that time.

Meanwhile, prospects for a pavement for Karczunkowska any time before the viaduct opens look slim until the viaduct is finally open.

This time last year:
What I read each week.

This time two years ago:
Defending Poland, contributing to NATO

This time four years ago:
Balloon over Warsaw

This time six years ago:
Happiness, Polish-style

This time seven years ago:
And watch the river flow...

4 comments:

student SGH said...

I can hereby optimistically bet the new viaduct will be opened for traffic by the end of 2017.

Besides, another short section of pavement along ul. Karczunkowska should emerge before long, still not the one most desired by commuters walking towards PKP Jeziorki, yet an improvement for those using buses.

Michael Dembinski said...

@ student SGH

Good news about the pavement - in effect it will only stretch from ul. Buszycka to ul. Nawłocka, but at least that's something. Now all that's needed is the 1300m between ul. Nawłocka and ul. Sarabandy.

Marcin said...

Karczunkowska closure is to happen on the night 20/21 Aug. Bus 809 will be gone (replaced by the new 737 service through Baletowa), 715 will be re-routed through Baletowa, 319 will not resurrect after vacation.
Total closure of Karczunkowska is promised to last until Christmas. Later th temporary bypass is to be opened - not sure yet whether it would permit for bus traffic.

Michael Dembinski said...

@ Marcin

Thanks for the useful (and reliable) information. I'm very sad that the 319 has disappeared for good - it was great to have an extra bus from Jeziorki to Wilanowska. Now one will have to change buses.

Closure time - rule of thumb - the longer the planned closure, the longer the closure overruns.

And Dr Marcin has reminded me that as the level crossing closes, for good, so the gate-keeper's hut will disappear, the gate keepers being reassigned. Saturday evening will indeed be all change for Jeziorki. A historic moment!