Aesthetics of New Asphalt

There's something special about newly-laid asphalt. Aesthetically, it's blacker than it will ever be, quickly fading to grey. It brings a new quality to roads that were hitherto mere farm tracks; dusty in summer, muddy in autumn and spring. I wrote about the roadworks between Chynów and Piekut in June; less than two months later, the work's (almost*) done.

Below: the road about to enter the forest, looking east. Chynów in the foreground, Piekut beyond the treeline, Węszelówka over to the left.

Below: looking west at the level crossing; a Kraków-bound InterCity train is rushing through, next stop Warka.

New asphalt bring so many benefits to society; ones that the average car-driver, thinking only of themselves, can't imagine. Below: looking towards the end of the new stretch; the photo shows some of the beneficiaries of the new road surface. The farmer, tending his orchard, will have a smoother journey with his apples once picked. No bumps – no bruising. No bruising en route to the collection point or to the warehouse means less spoilage and waste. Further on up the road, you can see a mum and her three children out on an evening bicycle ride. I saw a total of ten cyclists on the new asphalt in the space of half an hour. This would not have been a thing on the old road – stones, dust, mud, potholes. And I must say, walking on smooth asphalt is easier than walking on an irregular surface of stones and earth. If more folk can be encouraged out for some evening exercise, it's another win for the asphalt. 

Below: the western end of the road, ulica Spokojna in Chynów, out of the forest and into the orchards. A distant tractor is driving over the previously existing asphalt that had been laid back in 2015. Now the road is complete, local people can get to the shops more comfortably, by car – or bicycle.

Meanwhile, the really big roadworks are going on to the north of Warka; ulica Gośniewicka is undergoing a much-needed remont. Its surface had been badly potholed and crumbling due to the weight of heavy goods vehicles making deliveries to the Warka brewery or taking fruit from the chilled warehouses along the road. Work started in February and is likely to finish in November. In the meantime, traffic going this way has to face three lots of contraflow lanes with traffic lights that take four minutes to change. Until this work is complete, I take an alternative route through Gośniewice and Prusy.

* Whilst the asphalt is ready, the road is technically closed, with no-entry signs at either end. Dumper trucks are still taking away spoil from the field where it has been stored, and there are no markings (white lines, road signs, etc). Locals know about this, and so have started using this route.

This time four years ago:
Samsung Galaxy phone camera vs. Nikon D3500

This time seven years ago:
Karczunkowska viaduct takes shape

This time eight years ago:
My father's return to Warsaw, 2017

This time nine years ago:
My father's first visit to Warsaw in 40 years

This time ten years ago:
What's worse – unemployment, or a badly-paid job?

This time 11 years ago:
A return to Liverpool

This time 13 years ago:
Too good to last (anyone remember OLT Express airline?)

This time 14 years ago:
Poland's Baltic coast as a holiday destination

This time 16 years ago:
The Warsaw they fought and died for?

This time 18 years ago:
Floods, rainbows and hope