Sunday 9 September 2012

More from S2/S79

A lovely warm and sunny Sunday; I wonder what's happening along the Elka? A good day to find out. Below: the viaduct carrying ul. Hołubcowa over the S2 is coming along nicely. However, judging by the lugubrious pace of work on completing the neighbouring viaducts that carry ul. Poloneza and ul. Złote Łany over the S2, I cannot see this bridge being open to traffic for at least another 12 months.

Below: looking west from the top of the new viaduct's embankment. In the middle distance the functioning railway line that links Warsaw's Metro to the outside world, beyond that the first of three viaducts taking the Warsaw-Radom and Okęcie-Siekierki railway lines over the S2. Click to enlarge to see an empty coal train returning to Okęcie sidings from Siekierki power station. A LOT Boeing 767 is on final approach to Runway 33 at Okęcie airport, just beyond the trees.

Below: nothing new to report from the railway viaducts; pillars that will bear the second and third lines are nowhere near ready; the metal box girders themselves are ready and waiting. This will be the point where the whole S2/S79 project is most delayed (remember, it should have been ready three months ago).

Below: the southern end of the S79. As I have written before, the north-south part of the Elka just stops dead in a cabbage field. It seems pointless extending the asphalt (and no doubt soon street lighting, crash barriers, acoustic screens and pavements) beyond the Węzeł Lotnisko junction given the total lack of plans to link this up even to ul. Baletowa, less than half a kilometre away.

Below: as I stroll around the site of Węzeł Lotnisko, an RAF Lockheed Hercules C5 flies over (with six-blade props and ECM pods on rear fuselage). The photo, taken with a very wide angle lens, gives an idea of how close this large beast is flying.

It will be ages yet before I can flop out of bed, get in the car and be on the road to Berlin five minutes after leaving home!

This time last year:
To Stara Praga, and back

This time two years ago:
Late summer scenes, Warsaw

This time five years ago:
Roadworks and detours on ul. Puławska in Mysiadło

4 comments:

jak said...

hi, michael! looks like youve been enjoying yourself!
i was in ealing today....just parked up behind BHS and walked all the streets i used to frequent when i was kid there....elthorne park road, seward road, midhurst road, northfields ave, bond street etc etc.
of course everything has changed...the only shop thats still there on bond street is City radio..where i used to buy my electronic parts from way back in the 70s! anyway, que sara sara...!

Michael Dembinski said...

@ jak

Just 'visited' Ealing Broadway on Google Street View - City Radio Stores - WOW! That facade's unchanged since the 1930s! Incredible! Look at the art deco leaded glass, the typeface and the chromed lettering... English Heritage should slap a preservation order on the shop forthwith!

student SGH said...

Despite the appalling (how often this work crops up in your comment box, any good synonyms?) delay, it must be noted pace of works picked up over last two months. I believe if boys keep on toiling away as they do now, Elka should be opened within 12 months (close to deadline, in 3Q2012)

DC said...

Speaking of massive delays and your second picture, delivery to LOT of the 787 is finally within range. The first (not clear if it will be SP-LRA or -LRB) is scheduled for November 30th and service on it to Chicago beginning in January has been announced.