Karczunkowska viaduct - work begins in earnest

On Monday the heavy construction equipment moved in - a large vertical drill and a pile driver. Last week, access to the 'up' platform was changed via a new pedestrian level crossing (below).

The drilling is done slowly, the screw turning silently into the soil. The pile driver (below, left), on the other hand, is so loud I could hear it in my triple-glazed bedroom 970m away (in a straight line).

To get this shot of the equipment below, I scrambled up a mound of earth on ul. Karczunkowska between ul. Gogolińska and ul. Kurantów.

As I wrote recently, I totally disbelieve the promises that the viaduct that's being built here will be opened in 12 months' time. Nothing I've ever seen in Polish infrastructure construction would prepare me for such a phenomenon. The sign-off and hand-over process alone, getting the final inspections and paperwork sorted takes longer than 12 months (Google the history of the new viaducts over the S2 on ul. Nowozachodnia, ul. Czysta and ul. Rebusa; and see story on my blog about the footbridge at W-wa Okęcie).

To add to the complexity of this particular job, on top of the viaduct will be two bus stops, serving the two platforms. This means they will need wheelchair lifts. Experience shows that these take the longest to sign off (think W-wa Okęcie again, W-wa Służewiec and Czachówek Płn).

This time two years ago:
Sublime autumn day in Jeziorki

This time three years ago:
CitytoCity, MalltoMall

This time four years ago:
(Internet) Radio Days

This time five years ago:
Another office move

This time six years ago:
Manufacturing a City of Culture

This time seven years ago:
My thousandth post

This time eight years ago:
Closure of ul. Poloneza

This time nine years ago:
Scenes from a suburban petrol station

This time ten years ago:
Red Arrows over Lincolnshire from 30,000 ft