Ahead of the S7 extension - Dawidy

Work will begin in the early winter, beginning with site clearance*. The extension of the S7 from Węzeł Lotnisko, south of Okęcie airport, down to Grójec, will be the biggest infrastructure project to affect Jeziorki since the Warsaw-Radom railway line was built in the early 1930s. With a viaduct taking the S7 and service roads over ul. Baletowa and an intersection between Jeziorki and Zamienie, the new expressway will profoundly affect the character of the neighbourhood.

Today I took a stroll down to where the S7 will meet the existing S79 - the expressway that spurs off from the S2 and heads north towards town. Below: the southern end of the S79. In the distance, the Warsaw Trade Centre (left) and Warsaw Spire (right). The concrete barriers are to discourage nocturnal motorsports on the unused rump end of the S79; the junction with the S2 was opened in 2013 and this asphalt has sat here unused, except by rubber-burning petrol heads, since.

Below: looking south from the end of the S79 towards Dawidy. The S7 extension will swing right, away from the Warsaw-Radom railway line, visible to the left of this shot.

Below: fragment from the official plans for the S7. The red line shows the end of the existing asphalt (see above). This map has north to the left, the railway line at the top, the S7 running left-right, and the spur roads connecting the S79 and S7 to the S2 curving off towards the bottom. Click to enlarge.

Below: over the tracks by air - a Boeing 737 comes into land. One of many Turkish charters I saw flying in this evening. Peak tourist season.

Below: the next section from the official plans for the S7, where it will cross ul. Baletowa, in Dawidy. This is still within Warsaw's administrative borders. Note the shaded red blocks - these are buildings scheduled for demolition. There's around 25 of them - houses, barns, garages, outbuildings. The expressway will go right through them. This map has north to the left, the railway line at the top, the S7 running left-right, and ul Baletowa crossing diagonally. Click to enlarge.

Below: at this point, the S7 will cross over ul. Baletowa. The house to the left, the houses in the distance, will all have to be knocked down.

Below: nearer the railway line, this house will be spared, but it will be overshadowed by the embankment carrying the S7 over Baletowa.

Below: looking towards Zamienie. The S7 and its western service road will skirt through the left hand side of this field; this is probably the final harvest here. In the distance, the Action S.A. warehouse - Action is Poland's largest IT distributor.

Below: looking towards Dawidy Bankowe and Zamienie, a horizon of cranes. These fields will not be affected directly, but the skylarks, lapwings and marsh harriers will probably move elsewhere.

*UPDATE FEB 2020: Work that should have started at the end of 2018 begins, a year and three months late, because the firm that won the tender to build the 6.7km stretch of the S7 extension was unable to do it; the firm was turfed off the site, the tender repeated. The winning bid this time was double the original bid.

This time last year:
2017 participatory budget for Jeziorki - winners and losers

This time four years ago:
The Second Summer of Cider

This time five years ago:
North Wales in the sun

This time six years ago:
Back at Penrhos

This time eight years ago:
A farewell to Dobra