Below: down in the pit, the work goes on. Note the people walking down the coal train tracks; there's no direct route from the west side of the line to the 'up' platform; you can choose to walk a muddy 200m detour or walk the line.
Below: now the trains have passed, I check how the foundations look in the dark.
Bonus shot from yesterday; the snow was falling but not settling, as a Freightliner PL Newag Dragon locomotive passes through W-wa Jeziorki with a rake of full coal wagons. The Freightliner Dragons are dual-power electric locos with auxiliary diesel power, allowing them to work in non-electrified shunting yards.
This time three years ago:
No in-work benefits for four years?
This time four years ago:
This time five years ago:
Another November without snowThis time six years ago:
Snow-free November
This time seven years ago:
Krakowskie Przedmieście in the snow
This time eight years ago:
Ul. Poloneza closed for the building of the S2
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8 comments:
So how is our wager looking?
Assuming they push right through the winter months, I'd guess (again going on the pace of progress on the Poloneza viaduct) that by April it will be possible to walk over a structure that spans the tracks.
Lets' look at chronology of Poloneza viaduct...
Nov 2009: road closed to all traffic incl. pedestrians
Feb 2010: pile driving completed, similar state to Karczunkowska today.
Jan 2011: viaduct structurally ready
Apr 2011: I cycle across it for first time, no asphalt on it
Nov 2011: frustrated locals remove barriers stopping cars from using it; still no asphalt
Sep 2012: Asphalt laid, builders erect earth ramparts and concrete blocks to stop local drivers from using it
Nov 2012: Road officially open
Aug 2012: Asphalt laid between southern end of viaduct and ul. Ludwinowska.
On this basis, Karczunkowska would be legally open to cars by August 2020.
Having said that, with a bit of sprint and pressure from local communities, August 2019. December 2018? NO. CHANCE. :-)
It is going to be fun tracking the progress of this one!
You've pictured some interesting health and safety practices! Not just pedestrians on the track, but an excavator that could presumably swing foul of a running line. (It's happened in the UK and Germany recently.) And workers on the track adjoining a raised platform when the signal aspect looks like amber. (No quick way to a place of safety - a British track worker was badly injured in just such a situation earlier in the year.)
Hi, update from Nowa Iwiczna. the new barriers have been installed and started working this week. End result is long traffic queues as the barriers shut about 5 minutes before a train arrives, where before there were none. Not sure this is progress!
@ Ian Wilcock
It often puzzles me why the level crossing keepers lower the barriers when they do. Sometimes it's way too early, sometimes it's about right. Never too late, though. Worth learning the new train times by heart so as to avoid the barriers shutting! (of course the coal train times are not published, and it's difficult to know when the Kraków-bound trains pass).
@ WHP
Yes - H&S leaves a lot to be desired here. The passengers on the track are my least concern as the coal trains run twice a day laden, twice a day empty, sound their horns a lot and move slowly. Walking the electrified lines is far more risky. There was a man with a flag out of shot on the photo with the workers by the platform.
Guess we will have to get used to it. One day you will have a bridge :-)
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