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Highways in Poland

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Highways in Poland

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Polish highway network:

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accessdate=26 February 2025}}</ref>
Development of the highway network in Poland since 1932:

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Total length of highways by year

Controlled-access highways in Poland are part of the national roads network and they are divided into motorways and expressways. Both types of highways feature grade-separated interchanges with all other roads, emergency lanes, feeder lanes, wildlife crossings and dedicated roadside rest areas. Motorways differ from expressways in their technical parameters like designated speed, permitted road curvature, lane widths or minimal distances between interchanges. Moreover, expressways might have single-carriageway sections in case of low traffic densities (as of 2026, such sections constitute 3% of the highway network).

The development of modern highways began in the 1970s, but proceeded very slowly under the communist rule and for the first years afterwards: between 1970 and 2000 only 434 km of highways (5% of the planned network) were constructed in total. Further 1050 km (13% of the network) were opened from 2001 to 2010, followed by 2773 km (34% of the network) constructed between 2011 and 2020. It is planned to open about 2450 km (30%) in the 2020s, while the last about 1500 km (18%) would be completed in the 2030s.

, there are 5456 km of motorways and expressways in operation (66% of the intended network), while contracts for construction of a further 1112 km (14% of the network) are ongoing.

Except for the single-carriageway expressway sections, both types of highways fulfill the definition of a motorway as specified by OECD, WRA or Vienna Convention. Speed limits in Poland are 140 km/h on motorways and 120 km/h on expressways (100 km/h for single-carriageway expressway sections). Some motorway stretches are tolled.

Technical parameters

  • [[File:Znak D9.svg|frameless|38x38px]] Motorways are public roads with controlled access which are designated for motor vehicles only, and feature two carriageways with at least two continuous lanes each, divided by a median. They have no single-level intersections with any roads or other forms of land and water transport, and have wildlife crossings constructed above the road. They feature emergency lanes and feeder lanes, and are equipped with dedicated roadside rest areas. Motorways are the only roads in Poland which use blue background on road signs; others use green road signs.
  • [[File:PL road sign D-7.svg|frameless|38x38px]] Expressways share most of the characteristics of motorways, differing mainly in that:
  1. Expressways are designated for lower speed than motorways. For example, the road curvature can be more severe and the lanes are usually narrower (3.5m vs 3.75m). Emergency lanes are also narrower (2.5m vs 3m) and in exceptional situations expressways might not have them at all.
  2. Expressways can have a single carriageway on sections with low traffic density.
  3. Motorways can have interchanges only with main roads, and the distance between interchanges is typically not less than 15 km (or 5 km near major cities), while expressways typically have more frequent interchanges. In exceptional situations, expressways might not have dedicated feeder lanes on interchanges.

List of motorways and expressways

In 2004, the government published the ordinance defining the planned highway network of length about 7200 km. Notable changes introduced in later amendments include re-routing S8 and adding S61 instead (a change related to the Rospuda Valley conflict), introducing S16, S52 and A/S50, as well as extending S5, S8 and S10, raising the total length to about 8200 km. The planned network consists of 16 major highways (over 200 km of intended length): A1, S3, S5, S7, S11, S17, S19, S61 running north to south and A2/S2, A4, S6/A6, S8/A8, S10, S12, S16, S74 running west to east, as well as 9 shorter highways. |access-date = 2019-12-26 |access-date = 2019-12-26 |access-date = 2019-12-26 |access-date = 2021-07-31

SignRouteLocationTotal lengthExistingYears of opening[[File:Znak D9.svg34px]][[File:PL road sign D-7.svg34px]]
2) Major completed sections
[[File:A1-PL.svg40pxA1link=A1 autostrada (Poland)]]Gdańsk (S6) - Grudziądz (S5) - Toruń (S10) - Łódź (A2/S8) - Katowice Airport (S1) - Gliwice (A4) -[[File:NowaMapaA1.svg100px]]566.6 km566.6 km100%2007 – 2022
[[File:S3-PL.svg40pxS3link=Expressway S3 (Poland)]]Świnoujście ([File:Ferry Sign.svg - [Szczecin (A6) - Gorzów Wlkp. - A2 - Zielona Góra - Legnica (A4) -[[File:NowaMapaS3.svg100px]]454.9 km454.9 km
of which 3 km near the Czech border remain closed until connecting D11 is constructed100%2010 – 2025
[[File:A4-PL.svg40pxA4link=A4 autostrada (Poland)]]- Legnica (S3) - Wrocław (A8) - Opole - Gliwice (A1) - Katowice (S1) - Kraków (S7) - Rzeszów (S19) -[[File:NowaMapaA4.svg100px]]669 km669 km
of which 103 km substandard: no hard shoulder100%1983 – 2016
[[File:S14-PL.svg40pxS14link=Expressway S14 (Poland)]]Łódź western bypass (S8 – A2)Łódź40.2 km40.2 km
of which 0.5 km substandard: at-grade roundabout100%2012 – 2023
[[File:A18-PL.svg40pxA18link=A18 autostrada (Poland)]]– Krzyżowa (A4)[[File:NowaMapaA18.svg50px]]76.5 km76.5 km
of which 5.6 km substandard: no hard shoulder100%2006,
2022/2023
[[File:S22-PL.svg40pxS22link=Expressway S22 (Poland)]][[File:NowaMapaS22.svg25px]]52.2 km52.2 km single carriageway50%2008
[[File:S51-PL.svg40pxS51link=Expressway S51 (Poland)]]Olsztyn (S16) – Olsztynek (S7)[[File:NowaMapaS51.svg25px]]20.3 km20.3 km100%2012, 2019
[[File:S52-PL.svg40pxlink=Expressway S52 (Poland)]]Kraków northern bypass (A4 – S7)Kraków18.3 km18.3 km100%1986 – 2024
[[File:S61-PL.svg40pxS61link=Expressway S61 (Poland)]]Ostrów Mazowiecka (S8) - Łomża - Ełk (S16) - Suwałki -
(Via Baltica)[[File:NowaMapaS61.svg75px]]213.5 km213.5 km100%2019 – 2025
[[File:S79-PL.svg40pxS79link=Expressway S79 (Poland)]]Warsaw – airport – S2Warsaw4.8 km4.8 km100%2013
[[File:S86-PL.svg40pxS86link=Expressway S86 (Poland)]]Katowice – SosnowiecUpper Silesia5.9 km5.9 km100%1985
[[File:A2-PL.svg40pxA2link=A2 autostrada (Poland)]]
[[File:S2-PL.svg40pxS2link=Expressway S2 (Poland)]]Main section:
- S3 - Poznań (S5/S11) - Łódź (A1/S14) - Warsaw (S7/S8/S17)[[File:NowaMapaA2.svg100px]]489.7 km[[File:Znak D9.svg18px]] 454.9 km
[[File:PL road sign D-7.svg18px]] 34.8 km100%mainly
2003 – 2013
[[File:S5-PL.svg40pxS5link=Expressway S5 (Poland)]]Main section:
Grudziądz (A1) - Bydgoszcz (S10) - Poznań (A2/S11) - Wrocław (A8)[[File:NowaMapaS5.svg100px]]340.3 km340.3 km100%2012 – 2022
[[File:S8-PL.svg40pxS8link=Expressway S8 (Poland)]]
[[File:A8-PL.svg40pxA8link=A8 autostrada (Poland)]]Main section:
Wrocław (A4) - Łódź (A1) - Piotrków T. - Warsaw (A2/S7) - Ostrów M. (S61) - Białystok (S19)[[File:NowaMapaS8.svg100px]]548.2 km[[File:PL road sign D-7.svg18px]] 525.5 km
[[File:Znak D9.svg18px]] 22.7 km100%2008 – 2019
[[File:S17-PL.svg40pxS17link=Expressway S17 (Poland)]]Main section:
Warsaw (A2) – Lublin (S12/S19)[[File:NowaMapaS17.svg100px]]150 km150 km100%2013 – 2020
[[File:Znak D9.svg34px]][[File:PL road sign D-7.svg34px]]
3) Highways under constructionSignRouteLocationTotal lengthExistingConstruction commencedOf which under active constructionScheduled years of openingTenderIn preparation[[File:Znak D9.svg34px]][[File:PL road sign D-7.svg34px]]
4) Planned highwaysSignRouteLocationTotal lengthExistingConstruction commencedOf which under active constructionTenderPredesign completeIn preparation{{efnname=predesign_legendPlanned[[File:Znak D9.svg34px]][[File:PL road sign D-7.svg34px]]
In totalPlanned lengthExistingConstruction commencedOf which under active constructionTenderPredesign completeIn preparationNo progress
[[File:S1-PL.svg40pxS1link=Expressway S1 (Poland)]]Katowice Airport (A1) - Mysłowice (A4) - Bielsko-Biała (S52) -[[File:NowaMapaS1.svg100px]]144 km110.4 km
+ 20.7 km single carriageway83.9%
(91%)12.9 km
(new route)2026, 2027
(+ 39.5 km)
alternative dual-carriageway road(100%)
[[File:A2-PL.svg40pxA2link=A2 autostrada (Poland)]]Eastern section:
Warsaw (S17) - Międzyrzec P. (S19) -[[File:NowaMapaA2.svg100px]]168.2 km72.1 km42.9%63.8 km2026, 2029?25.5 km6.8 km
[[File:S6-PL.svg40pxS6link=Expressway S6 (Poland)]]
[[File:A6-PL.svg40pxA6link=A6 autostrada (Poland)]]- Szczecin - Goleniów (S3) - Koszalin (S11) - Słupsk - Gdańsk (A1)[[File:NowaMapaS6.svg100px]]412 km[[File:PL road sign D-7.svg18px]] 276.8 km
[[File:Znak D9.svg18px]] 28.1 km82%56.3 km2026
Szczecin western bypass0 km0%15.8 km2028, 2029, tunnel: 2032?35 km
[[File:S7-PL.svg40pxS7link=Expressway S7 (Poland)]]Gdynia - Gdańsk (A1) - Elbląg (S22) - Olsztynek (S51) - Warsaw (S8)[[File:NowaMapaS7.svg100px]]approx. 750 km352.2 km93.9%
9 km
(reconstruction of the 2×2 road to 2×3 highway; 2 lanes per each direction are open to traffic on the whole length of the reconstruction site)2027, 2032?13 km (reconstruction
+ new route)
(+ 22 km)
dual carriageway road(100%)
Warsaw (S2) - Radom (S12) - Kielce (S74) - Kraków (A4)276 km
+ 3.4 km 1st carriageway98%2.3 km
+ 3.4 km 2nd carriageway2026
(+ 12.5 km)
auxiliary route through S52(100%)
Kraków (A4) - Rabka-Zdrój -31.8 km34.6%partial reconstruction to grade-separated (2 lanes per direction are open to traffic)2030?, 2032?, 2040?approx. 60 km (new route)
(+ 25 km)
dual carriageway road(62%)
[[File:S8-PL.svg40pxS8link=Expressway S8 (Poland)]]Southern section:
Wrocław (A8) - Kłodzko -[[File:NowaMapaS8.svg75px]]approx. 127.4 km5.1 km4%68.8 km32 km2027, 2028, 2029,
2033?, 2040?approx. 53.5 km
[[File:S10-PL.svg40pxS10link=Expressway S10 (Poland)]]Main section:
Szczecin (A6) - Piła (S11) - Bydgoszcz (S5) - Toruń (A1)[[File:NowaMapaS10.svg100px]]297 km50.2 km
+ 17.5 km
1st carriageway19.8%153 km
+ 17.5 km 2nd carriageway45.4 km2027, 2028,
2030?, 2031?37.8 km39.5 km
[[File:S11-PL.svg40pxS11link=Expressway S11 (Poland)]]Koszalin (S6) - Piła (S10) - Poznań (A2/S5) - Kępno (S8) - Piekary Śląskie (A1)[[File:NowaMapaS11.svg100px]]556.5 km154.4 km
+ 10.5 km
1st carriageway28.7%122.1 km
+ 4.2 km
2nd carriageway25 km2026, 2028, 2029,
2031?, 2033?78.4 km36 km
+ 155.1 km
+ 6.3 km 2nd c/w
[[File:S12-PL.svg40pxS12link=Expressway S12 (Poland)]]Eastern section:
Lublin (S17/S19) - Chełm -[[File:NowaMapaS12.svg75px]]103.7 km29.2 km28.2%68.8 km14 km2026, 2027, 2032?5.7 km
[[File:S17-PL.svg40pxS17link=Expressway S17 (Poland)]]Eastern section:
Lublin (S12/S19) - Zamość -[[File:NowaMapaS17.svg75px]]126 km9.6 km
+ 2 km 1st carriageway8.4%92 km47.7 km2027, 2028, 2030?,
2nd c/w: 2032?22.3 km2 km 2nd carriageway
[[File:S19-PL.svg40pxS19link=Expressway S19 (Poland)]]
Via Carpatia- Białystok (S8) - Międzyrzec P. (A2) - Lublin (S12/S17)[[File:NowaMapaS19.svg100px]]572.5 km31.2 km
+ 18.5 km 1st carriageway12.7%198.7 km
+ 18.5 km 2nd carriageway122.6 km
+ 13.7 km 2nd carriageway2026, 2027, 2028,
2030?, 2031?32 km37.4 km
Lublin (S12/S17) – Rzeszów (A4)141.7 km
+ 16.3 km 1st carriageway
with interchanging 2+1 lanes94.8%
(100%)16.3 km
2nd carriageway2026
Rzeszów (A4) –32.1 km33.2%64.5 km53.8 km2026, 2027,
tunnels: 2028, 2030, 2031
[[File:S74-PL.svg40pxS74link=Expressway S74 (Poland)]]Łódź (A1) - Sulejów (S12) - Kielce (S7) - Nisko (S19)[[File:NowaMapaS74.svg100px]]approx. 261 km16.7 km6.4%98.6 km18.7 km2027, 2028,
2032?, 2035?92 km
+ approx. 54 km
[[File:S5-PL.svg40pxS5link=Expressway S5 (Poland)]]Eastern section:
Ostróda (S7) – Grudziądz (A1)[[File:NowaMapaS5.svg75px]]101.8 km14.3 km14%87.5 km2033
Western section:
Bolków (S3) – Świdnica – S850.2 km0 km0%50.2 km2032
[[File:S10-PL.svg40pxS10link=Expressway S10 (Poland)]]Eastern section:
Włocławek (A1) - Płock - Warsaw (S7)[[File:NowaMapaS10.svg75px]]approx. 120 km0 km0%approx. 120 km2033
[[File:S12-PL.svg40pxS12link=Expressway S12 (Poland)]]Western section:
Piotrków Tryb. (A1) - Sulejów (S74) - Radom (S7) - Lublin (S17)[[File:NowaMapaS12.svg75px]]185 km16.4 km
+ 6.0 km
1st carriageway10.7%29.1 km13.2 km120.3 km
+ 6.0 km 2nd c/w2033
[[File:S16-PL.svg40pxlink=Expressway S16 (Poland)]]Olsztyn (S51) - Ełk (S61) - Białystok (S19)[[File:NowaMapaS16.svg75px]]approx. 245 km46.2 km
+ 20.1 km
1st carriageway23%19.7 km
+ 20.1 km 2nd carriageway77.5 km2037
+ approx. 81.5 km
[[File:S17-PL.svg40pxS17link=Expressway S17 (Poland)]]Warsaw eastern bypass (S8 – S2)Warsaw17.3 km3.5 km20.2%13.8 km2036
[[File:A50-PL.svg40pxA50link=A50 autostrada (Poland)]]
[[File:S50-PL.svg40pxA50link=Expressway S50 (Poland)]]CPK (A2) - Mińsk M. (A2) - CPKWarsaw
(2nd ring road)approx. 265 km0 km0%[[File:Znak D9.svg
[[File:PL road sign D-7.svg2040
[[File:S52-PL.svg40pxlink=Expressway S52 (Poland)]]Cieszyn - Bielsko-Biała (S1) - Wadowice - Głogoczów (S7)[[File:NowaMapaS52.svg75px]]98 km37 km37.8%61 km2032
Totalapprox. 8250 km[[File:Znak D9.svg
[[File:PL road sign D-7.svg18px]] approx. 6164 km5305.2 km
+ 149.8 km
1st carriageway65.21%1049.4 km
+ 62.5 km
2nd carriageway501.3 km
+ 30.4 km
2nd carriageway265.6 km0 kmapprox.
1532.7 km
+ 14.3 km
2nd carriageway73 km
2nd c/w

Cross-sections

section with 2×3 lanes}}
the most common highway type}}
a single-carriageway expressway;}}<br/>space reservation for the 2nd carriageway can be seen on the right

As of 1st January 2026, the operational sections of highways utilize the following cross-sections:

  • 7% (398 km) – motorways and expressways with 2×3 or (occasionally) 2×4 or more lanes,
  • 90% (4913 km) – motorways and expressways with 2×2 lanes,
  • 3% (157 km) – single-carriageway expressways, of which 55 km with dual-carriageway fragments (2×2) around the interchanges.

All single-carriageway expressways are constructed with allocated space for a possible upgrade to dual-carriageway and all bridges above such highways are prepared to accommodate the second carriageway. Most of those sections are planned to be widened to full profile by 2033, the exceptions being S1 (near the Slovak border) and S22 (near the Kaliningrad Oblast border) where widening is currently not expected.

Substandard highways

The substandard section of A4 west of [[Wrocław

Motorways and expressways constructed before 1999 do not have to fulfill technical parameters defined by the ministry ordinance. As of 2026, one notable case of a substandard highway remains:

  • A4 on the section Krzyżowa – Wrocław (103 km) was constructed in years 1934 – 1937 (then the territory of Nazi Germany) and renovated in years 2002 – 2006. The road received new high quality surface but the geometry was kept unchanged and many overpasses above the motorway were kept. In effect, this part has no emergency lanes and the speed limit is decreased to 110 km/h. Its full reconstruction (and widening to three lanes per direction) is scheduled for years 2027 – 2031.

Notable historical cases are: Historical cases

  • Expressways were formerly allowed to admit an at-grade intersection with a minor public road in exceptional cases. The last such section which remained operational past 1999 was S3 near Szczecin (19 km), opened in 1979, which featured two at-grade road intersections until the reconstruction conducted in years 2019 – 2020. Since 2020, all expressways (as well as motorways) in Poland have only grade-separated intersections. In 2022, the provision allowing at-grade intersections to exist on expressways was formally removed from the ordinance.
  • A6 near Szczecin (29 km) was constructed by Nazi Germany and kept using the original surface made of concrete slabs until the reconstruction conducted in years 1996 – 1999 and (easternmost fragment) 2017 – 2021.
  • A18 (70 km) had its southern carriageway constructed by Nazi Germany. The northern carriageway was constructed in 2004 – 2006, while the southern carriageway kept using the original concrete slabs until the reconstruction conducted in years 2020 – 2023.

Speed limits

Maximum speed (km/h) by vehicle type[[File:Znak D9.svg22x22pxframeless]] Motorway[[File:PL road sign D-7.svgframeless22x22px]] Expresswaydual-carriagewaysingle-carriageway
Private car, motorbike, van up to 3.5t (does not apply if towing trailer)140120100
Bus meeting additional technical requirements100
Bus; a vehicle over 3.5t or towing trailer or carrying dangerous materials80
Vehicle having equipment more than 1.5m forward of the driver's seat60
Motorbike (including towing trailer) carrying a child up to 7 years old40

Other restrictions

  • Pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds, and agricultural vehicles are not allowed on motorways.
  • Minimum speed on motorways is 40 km/h except in extraordinary circumstances (e.g. snow, ice, or a car broken down).
  • It is forbidden to stop except in extraordinary circumstances, or to travel backwards.
  • Towing is not allowed on motorways, but is permitted on expressways.

Tolls

Motorways with tolled sections
vehicles '''over 3.5 t'''}}

Since 2023, all state-owned highways are free for vehicles up to 3.5 tons of permissible maximum weight (for a passenger car with a trailer, the joint permissible maximum weight of the car and the trailer must not exceed 3.5 tons). On some sections, old inactive infrastructure for toll collection is still in place.

The privately owned sections of A1, A2 and A4 are tolled. These sections are indicated by the motorway sign accompanied by the word Płatna.

SignSectionManagerLengthPriceManual toll collectionElectronic toll collectionNotes
[[File:Znak D9+Tabliczka T28.svg55xpx]][[File:A1-PL.svg40pxA1link=A1 autostrada (Poland)]]GdańskToruńGTC152 km30 PLN (€)Closed system: there are toll stations on every interchange; the driver receives a ticket upon entering the motorway and pays on the exit, with the price dependent on the distance driven.url=https://autopay.pl/engtitle = Autopay - Comfortable automatic payments - Autopay}} allows one to choose the "fast gates" instead of waiting in the queue to the regular gates.
[[File:A2-PL.svg40pxA2link=A2 autostrada (Poland)]]RzepinPoznań-WestAWSA133 km50 PLN (€)Poznań bypass, including the common sections with S5 and S11, is free.
Poznań-EastSługocin85 km64 PLN (€)Open system: two toll stations are located at the ends of the section; a person driving the whole distance pays at both gates, while a person entering or leaving the motorway mid-section pays only at one gate.Electronic toll collection through the Autopay mobile app allows one to choose the "fast gates" instead of waiting in the queue to the regular gates.
[[File:A4-PL.svg40pxA4link=A4 autostrada (Poland)]]MysłowiceKraków-BaliceSTX52 km32 PLN (€)Kraków bypass, including the common sections with S7 and S52, is free.

Vehicles over 3.5 tons and buses

Using e-Toll is obligatory for buses as well as all vehicles with maximum permissible weight exceeding 3.5 tons (including the trailer) while driving on the Polish roads (not just the highways). More details can be found on the e-Toll website.

Traffic volumes

S8 in [[Warsaw

Traffic volumes in Poland note rapid increase since the fall of communism in 1989: the annual average daily traffic recorded in 2020 amounts to over 360% of the average traffic recorded in 1990. With the increasing traffic, the length of overburdened single-carriageway national roads had also been steadily increasing until reaching the maximum of 1389 km in 2010. Due to the large number of highway sections opened between 2010 and 2020, in that decade the length of overburdened roads has fallen down for the first time in history, from 1389 km in 2010 to 1121 km in 2020.

The latest general measurement was conducted in 2025, but its results are yet to be published. The previous measurement was conducted in 2020, although some measurement days were moved to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic which would have caused the results from 2020 to be unreliable. The following highways recorded the highest volumes:

Busiest highways in Poland (absolute numbers)NoSectionVehicles / dayNotesBusiest highways in Poland (per number of lanes)NoSectionVehicles / day / number of lanesNotes
1S8 in Warsaw198,000Highest AADT on sections with 5 lanes per direction: 198k.
Highest AADT on sections with 3 lanes per direction: 179k.
S8 in Warsaw serves both the transit and local traffic, and long jams form on it during rush hours. Partially joint with S7.
2S2: Warsaw southern bypass143,000Data from 2023 – the results from 2020 were not considered reliable because the tunnel section was missing. Partially joint with S7 and S8. 3 lanes per direction.
3S86113,000S86 serves mainly local traffic between Sosnowiec and Katowice and is not part of Poland's transit network. 3 lanes per direction.
4A4 in Katowice105,000A4 serves both the transit traffic (2 lanes per direction) and local traffic (2 lanes per direction).
1S8 in Warsaw179,000 / 2×3 lanesSee above.
2S2: Warsaw southern bypass143,000 / 2×3 lanes
3S6: Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia bypass93,000 / 2×2 lanesSome decrease in traffic on S6 is expected, because Tricity Outer Bypass (S7) was opened in 2025.
4A4: Kraków western bypass85,000 / 2×2 lanesSome decrease in traffic on A4 is expected after Kraków eastern bypass (S7) is opened in late 2026. Widening to 3 lanes per direction is planned in the future (after 2030).

The other highest and lowest recorded AADT values were:

CategorySectionVehicles / dayNotesBusiest regular national roads
Note: Measurements are not performed on national roads within the borders of major citiesBusiest single-carriageway highwaysLeast busy highways
Busiest dual-carriageway national roadDK7 north of Warsaw63,0002 lanes per direction with at-grade intersections and traffic lights. New parallel route of S7 is planned to be opened in the future (around 2032).
Busiest single-carriageway national roadDK44 west of Kraków36,000Widening to 2 lanes per direction is planned in the future (after 2030).
Busiest single-carriageway national road within the planned highway networkDK19 north of Lublin28,500S19 is under construction, expected to be opened in mid-2027.
Busiest single-carriageway highwayS1 near Żywiec17,000
Least busy single-carriageway highway700Data from 2024 – the results from 2020 were not considered reliable due to restrictions in crossing the external EU borders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Least busy dual-carriageway highwayA4 near2,300
Least busy highway excluding near-border sectionsS11 Szczecinek bypass3,900 – 6,400

History

Before World War II

The network planned prior to WWII
Pre-WWII surface on A6 before the reconstruction (photo from 2009)
Pre-WWII surface on the southern carriageway of A18 before the reconstruction (photo from 2012)

The first plans of creation of a national highway network in Poland were conceived in the interwar period: Plans The main promoter of this concept was Professor Melchior Wladyslaw Nestorowicz of the Warsaw University of Technology, who organized three Road Congresses, during which a group of specialists discussed the creation of the network. On 5 March 1939, in the trade magazine Drogowiec, Professor Nestorowicz proposed a very ambitious plan for the construction of almost 5,000 kilometres of category I and II roads, based on similar programmes in Germany and Italy. Nestorowicz sketched a map of the future system with the following routes:

First class roads would, according to the plans, consist of the following motorways (totalling some 2500 km:

  • Warsaw - Łódź - 100 km
  • Warsaw – Poznań - Polish-German border - 350 km
  • Warsaw beltway - 130 km
  • Poznań beltway - 80 km
  • Gdynia – Bydgoszcz – Łódź – 500 km
  • Łódź beltway - 90 km
  • Bytow - Free City of Danzig border - 50 km
  • Katowice – Kraków – Lwów - 375 km
  • Warsaw – Lublin - Lwów – Sniatyn - Polish-Romanian border - 550 km
  • Puławy – Sandomierz – Przemyśl - 175 km

Second class roads would consist of the following motorways, totalling another 2295 km:

  • Piotrków Trybunalski - Kielce - Sandomierz - 180 km
  • Warsaw – Kielce – Kraków - 180 km
  • Łódź - Kalisz - Polish-German border north of Wrocław - 130 km
  • Warsaw – Grodno – Vilnius – Polish - Lithuania - Latvian border near Daugavpils - 575 km
  • Grodno - Nowogrodek - Polish-Soviet border near Minsk - 190 km
  • Bydgoszcz – Poznań – Częstochowa - 350 km
  • Katowice – Cieszyn – Polish-Czechoslovak border - 60 km
  • Ostrołęka - Polish-East Prussian border - 50 km
  • Grodno - Polish-Lithuanian border - 40 km
  • Grodno - Brzesc nad Bugiem - Krasnystaw - 300 km
  • Warsaw – Brzesc nad Bugiem - 170 km

In 1934, Nazi Germany started the construction of their motorway system, parts of which today form A18 and A4 to Wrocław (Breslau), as well as A6 (Szczecin bypass) and S22 (parts of the planned motorway to Königsberg). About half of them were constructed as single-carriageway with the intention of adding a second carriageway in later years. However, after 1938, warfare expenses meant little money would be invested into any infrastructure and only one 9 km single-carriageway piece west of Gliwice (now A4) was constructed.

Highway sections constructed by Nazi GermanySignageSectionLengthStart of constructionOpeningNotes
[[File:A4-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A4 autostrada (Poland)]]Krzyżowa ([[File:A18-PL.svgframeless26x26pxlink=A18 autostrada (Poland)]]) – Krzywa12.3 km
Krzywa – Wrocław91 km
Wrocław – Brzeg (Owczary)34.1 kmSouthern carriageway only
Ujazd (Nogowczyce) – Łany9.1 km
Łany – Kleszczów (Gliwice)8.8 km
[[File:A6-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A6 autostrada (Poland)]][[File:Flag of Germany.svgframeless32x32px]] – Szczecin-Zachód2.6 km
Szczecin-Zachód – Rzęśnica26.6 km
[[File:A18-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A18 autostrada (Poland)]][[File:Flag of Germany.svgframeless32x32px]] – Iłowa37.2 kmSouthern carriageway only
Iłowa – Golnice32 km
Golnice – Krzyżowa ([[File:A4-PL.svg5.9 km
[[File:S22-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S22 (Poland)]]Elbląg – Grzechotki51.4 kmWestern carriageway only
Total316.9 km
of which 178.5 km single carriagewayNote: Signage of the roads at the time of opening was different.

In Poland, a 28 km stretch between Warlubie and Osiek (now DW214) was constructed in 1937 – 1939 in the motorway standard of the time (today not considered a highway) with a concrete surface, which was designed by Italian engineer Piero Puricelli. The motorway was planned to reach Gdynia, but the outbreak of the Second World War halted the plans.

1945 – 1972

The aforementioned fragments of the Third Reich motorways (about half of them with only the first carriageway constructed) became part of the territory of the communist Poland after the Potsdam conference in 1945. Most of the motorway bridges had been destroyed by the warfare, but only a few were repaired or rebuilt in the first post-war years. The bridge over Ina river was reconstructed in 1972, and those on S22 only between 1996 and 2003. Apart from the bridges, almost all the motorways were left in the same condition as they were in 1945 until the mid-1990s. The only road left from Nazi times that was completed by the People's Republic of Poland was a one-carriageway small section between Łęczyca and Lisowo (15 km of what is now DW142), which was built on the previous works of Nazis.

Plans At the post-war year there were very ambitious plans to make a motorway network for the whole Poland. For example, engineer Eugeniusz Buszma has published his propositions to the network in the magazine "Drogowiec" (1946, issue 1):

  1. East – West (Słubice – Warsaw – Białystok) – 680 km
  2. North – South (Gdynia – Warsaw – Balkans) – 650 km
  3. Silesia – Baltic I (Gdańsk – Łódź – Katowice) – 460 km
  4. Pomeranian (Gdańsk – Szczecin) – 280 km
  5. Silesian (Wrocław – Katowice – Kraków) – 190 km
  6. Mazurian (Kaliningrad – Elbląg – Malbork) – 20 km
  7. Silesia – Baltic II (Bydgoszcz – Wrocław) – 260 km
  8. Łódź – Wrocław – (Prague) – 310 km
  9. Katowice – (Vienna) – 60 km
  10. Poznań – Szczecin – 200 km
  11. Radom – Lublin – (Lviv) – 220 km In total, the mileage, according to the proposal, would total more than 3300 km.

After the addition of the sections built by the Third Reich the total network length had to be approx. 3700 km. In 1963 the Motorization Council at the Council of Ministers had presented the similar plan plus the motorways: Warsaw-Kraków-Zakopane, Kraków-Przemyśl, Warsaw-Bydgoszcz-Koszalin, Poznań-Koszalin i Warsaw-Terespol (approx. 1250 km). Despite announcing such pompous plans, no motorway was opened in the meantime.

In the 1970s

Only in the 1970s the construction of the first highways started. Plans In 1972 it was planned to build:

  • the Gliwice-Kraków motorway (now A4)
  • the second carriageway of the Wrocław-Gliwice motorway (also A4)
  • the Warsaw-Katowice motorway (so-called "Gierkówka", now the S8/A1 road), in the near future

The plans were expanded in 1976 by the following sections:

  • Tarnów – Kraków (now A4),
  • eastern GOP (Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy) bypass (now S1, northern part),
  • Bielsko-Biała – Cieszyn (now S52, southern part),
  • Warszawa – Poznań (so-called Olimpijka, now A2),
  • Łódź – Piotrków Trybunalski (now A1).

In 1973 – 1976, "Gierkówka" dual carriageway from Warsaw to Katowice (281 km) was built. Originally planned as a motorway, it was in the end constructed by adding another carriageway to the existing road, hence going through many villages and crossing with local roads. The part from Piotrków Trybunalski to Częstochowa (78 km) was constructed as a new route on a motorway alignment, but the crossings between the highway and other roads were constructed as one-level intersections with pedestrian crossings and no viaducts or overpasses.

SignageSectionLengthStart of constructionOpening
[[File:DK1-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=National road 1 (Poland)]]Piotrków Trybunalski – Częstochowa
substandard (multiple at-grade intersections), constructed on motorway alignment, not signed as a highway78 km
[[File:S6-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S6 (Poland)]]Tri-city bypass (eastern carriageway)
substandard (two at-grade intersections, then reconstructed when adding a second carriageway in the 1980s)37.7 km
Szczecin-Rzęśnica (end of post-German A6 motorway) – Goleniów
substandard (two at-grade intersections)19.3 km
Total57 km
of which 37.7 km single carriageway

In the 1980s

A4 near Jaworzno, opened in 1983

Near the end of the 1970s the first construction of motorways started and continued to the next decade. The roads opened in the 1980s were the first motorways and expressways which generally meet the contemporary standards (at least with respect to their more important attributes), although in multiple cases the poor quality of their construction forced major renovations to be performed as soon as within the first 20 years of operation.

The major routes planned as motorways were A1, A2 and A4, while other main routes were planned as expressways. The implementation of these plans, however, came at a very slow pace: throughout the 1980s, only an average of 21 km of highways in the whole country were being opened per year.

Highway sections opened in the 1980s
average: 21 km / yearSignageSectionLengthStart of constructionOpeningNotes
[[File:A1-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A1 autostrada (Poland)]]Tuszyn - Piotrków Trybunalski16.1 kmReconstructed 2019 – 2021
[[File:A2-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A2 autostrada (Poland)]]Września - Konin35.7 km (to Sługocin)Renovated 2002 – 2003
13.5 km
[[File:A4-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A4 autostrada (Poland)]]Jaworzno - Kraków (Tyniec)29.6 km (Chrzanów - Kraków / Balice I)Renovated 1999 – 2000
6.1 km (Jaworzno - Chrzanów)
7.8 km (1st section of Kraków bypass: Balice I - Tyniec)
[[File:S1-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S1 (Poland)]]Dąbrowa Górnicza - Tychy34.7 km
[[File:S6-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S6 (Poland)]]Tri-city bypass (to Straszyn)32.4 kmSecond carriageway
[[File:S7-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S7 (Poland)]]Kielce bypass22.9 kmFirst carriageway
[[File:S52-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S52 (Poland)]]Kraków northern bypass: fragment Balice - Zabierzów3.5 kmThen signed as motorway A4a
[[File:S86-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S86 (Poland)]]Katowice - Sosnowiec6.8 kmFirst completely done expressway
Total209.1 km of which 55.3 km single carriageway

In the 1990s

The highway network in 1990

In the III Republic of Poland, planned S3 was promoted to motorway A3 (the decision was later reversed) and a plan was introduced (also later reversed) of constructing motorway A8 Łódź – Wrocław – Bolków (now S8/A8/S5). Szczecin bypass (A6) and section Olszyna – Krzywa (then named A12, now A4/A18) were promoted to motorways, even though at that time the majority of their lengths was in bad shape, laid with the original concrete surface from the 1930s with no significant works having been performed on any of them throughout the whole communist period.

Highway sections opened in the 1990s
average: 15 km / yearSignageSectionLengthStart of constructionOpeningNotes
[[File:A4-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A4 autostrada (Poland)]]Katowice - Jaworzno15.9 km (Mysłowice - Jaworzno)Northern carriageway was opened on
11.1 km (Katowice - Mysłowice)
1.9 km (in Katowice)?
Kraków bypass (section Tyniec - ul.Kąpielowa)3.5 km (to Skawina)
5.4 kmA4 had a crossroad with ul. Kąpielowa till 2002, when the bridge was built over it.
[[File:Flag of Germany.svgframeless40x40px]] - Zgorzelec1.8 km
Krzyżowa - Krzywa10.2 km?Renovated
[[File:A6-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A6 autostrada (Poland)]][[File:Flag of Germany.svgframeless40x40px]] - Podjuchy12.7 kmRenovated
[[File:A18-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A18 autostrada (Poland)]]Olszyna[[File:Flag of Germany.svgframeless40x40px]] - Królów9.6 km?Northern carriageway added and border bridges renovated
Golnice - Krzyżowa5.9 kmRenovated both carriageways
[[File:S1-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S1 (Poland)]][[File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svgFlag of the Czech Republicborder40x40px]] - Cieszyn-East5.2 km
[[File:S3-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S3 (Poland)]]Sulechów - Zielona Góra26.8 kmWestern carriageway only
[[File:S5-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S5 (Poland)]]Świecie bypass13 kmSingle carriageway; dual carriageway near the interchanges
[[File:S7-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S7 (Poland)]]Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki bypass14.6 km
Miłomłyn bypass5.1 kmEastern carriageway only
[[File:S8-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S8 (Poland)]]Radzymin bypass8.1 km
Total151.8 km of which 28.8 km reconstructed, 48.4 km single carriageway

In the 2000s

The highway network in 2000

As of the beginning of 2000, the vast majority of national and international traffic routes were served by regular national roads with at-grade intersections and pedestrian crossings, most of them leading through the centres of cities, towns and villages, and most of them single carriageway. Only the following number of highways was present: :* about 275 km of modern dual-carriageway motorways and expressways (3.5% of the network as planned nowadays), :* about 90 km of single-carriageway expressways, :* about 125 km of not-resurfaced Nazi German motorways from the 1930s, :* about 150 km of not-resurfaced Nazi German motorways on sections where only the first carriageway had been constructed.

Before the EU membership

At the beginning of the 21st century, the tempo of highway construction started to increase. The main focus was on the west–east motorways A4 and A2. In 2002, a long-awaited renovation of the A4 from Krzywa to Wrocław (93 km) has started, which included laying new high quality surface in place of the Nazi German concrete slabs, reconstruction of all the pre-WWII bridges on the motorway and renovation of the viaducts above the motorway.

This is also the period when Poland started introducing motorway tolls, first in 2000 for the A4 section between Mysłowice and Kraków.

Highway sections opened in 2000 – 2003
average: 57 km / yearSignageSectionLengthStart of constructionOpeningNotes
[[File:A2-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A2 autostrada (Poland)]]Poznań Komorniki - Września11.2 km (to Poznań Krzesiny)
37.3 km
[[File:A4-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A4 autostrada (Poland)]]Wrocław (Bielany) - Gliwice-West (Kleszczów)34.1 km (to Brzeg)Southern carriageway reconstructed, northern carriageway constructed
56.6 km (to Opole-East)
34.3 km (to Nogowczyce)
17.9 km (to Kleszczów)Southern carriageway reconstructed, northern carriageway constructed
Chorzów - Katowice Mikołowska4.4 km
Kraków bypass (section ul.Kąpielowa - Wieliczka)7 km
[[File:S5-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S5 (Poland)]]Śmigiel bypass4.1 km?First carriageway
[[File:S6-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S6 (Poland)]]Straszyn - Rusocin5.4 kmSecond carriageway
[[File:S7-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S7 (Poland)]]Białobrzegi bypass7.7 km
[[File:S8-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S8 (Poland)]]Ostrów Mazowiecka bypass7.6 km
Total227.6 km of which 9.5 km single carriageway

In European Union

The highway network in 2010

1 May 2004 was a crucial day for the history of motorway construction and that is when the length of highway constructions started to increase the most. One of the major advantages of signing the European Union access document was that Poland could get access to large funds for co-financing the construction of new roads and upgrades of the existing road infrastructure. Overall, the co-financing funds amounted to about 43% of the road construction costs during the first 20 years of the EU membership.

At this time, the existing scattered pieces of highways began to converge into the basis of the future network:

  • until 2004, Katowice and Kraków (linked by A4) were the only pair of Poland's largest cities connected by a highway;
  • in 2005, A4 connected Wrocław with Katowice and Kraków, while in 2009 – with Germany;
  • in 2006, A2 connected Poznań with Łódź. A large number of expressway bypasses of towns were also constructed at this time. On many of them, only one carriageway was built, with the allocated space prepared for easy construction of the second carriageway later.
Highway sections opened in 2004 – 2010
average: 151 km / yearSignageSectionLengthStart of constructionOpeningNotes
[[File:A1-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A1 autostrada (Poland)]]Gdańsk (Rusocin) - Grudziądz24.2 km
64.7 km
Sośnica - Żory15.6 km
7.5 km2007
[[File:A2-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A2 autostrada (Poland)]]Nowy Tomyśl - Poznań Komorniki50.4 km
Konin - Łódź (Stryków)103.7 km
[[File:A4-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A4 autostrada (Poland)]]Krzywa - Wrocław (Bielany)93 km–2006
(in sections)Renovated both carriageways
Gliwice (Sośnica) - Chorzów Batory15.7 km
Gliwice bypass (Kleszczów - Sośnica)19.1 km
Zgorzelec [[File:Flag of Germany.svgframeless36x36px]] - Krzyżowa49.7 km
Wieliczka - Targowisko19.5 km
[[File:A6-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A6 autostrada (Poland)]]Szczecin Klucz - Szczecin Kijewo7.7 kmRenovated both carriageways
[[File:A18-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=A18 autostrada (Poland)]]Olszyna [[File:Flag of Germany.svgframeless36x36px]] - Golnice71.5 kmConstructed the northern carriageway alongside the pre-WWII southern carriageway
[[File:S1-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S1 (Poland)]][[File:Flag of Slovakia.svgborder36x36px]] - Zwardoń - Milówka12.0 km2002 - 20072004 - 2010
(in sections)Single carriageway; then signed S69
Żywiec - Przybędza7.7 km20052007
Pyrzowice airport - Podwarpie12.0 km20052006Single carriageway
[[File:S3-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S3 (Poland)]]Szczecin – Gorzów Wielkopolski81.6 km
Gorzów Wielkopolski bypass11.9 kmSingle carriageway
Międzyrzecz bypass6.3 km
Nowa Sól bypass18 km
[[File:S5-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S5 (Poland)]]Szubin bypass4.5 kmSingle carriageway
[[File:S6-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S6 (Poland)]]Słupsk bypass16.3 kmSingle carriageway; dual carriageway near the interchanges
[[File:S7-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S7 (Poland)]]Jędrzejów bypass5.8 kmPartially (2.7 km) single carriageway
Nowy Dwór Gdański bypass2.5 km
Elbląg bypass4.2 km
Grójec bypass8.3 km
Białobrzegi - Jedlińsk15.7 km
Myślenice - Lubień16.2 km
Kielce bypass (northern part)7.1 km
Płońsk bypass4.7 km
Skurów – Białobrzegi17.8 km
Kraków eastern bypass (first fragment)2.8 km
[[File:S8-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S8 (Poland)]]Oleśnica bypass7.2 km
Wyszków bypass12.8 km
Wyszków - Radzymin17.3 km
Wrocław - Kobierzyce7 km
[[File:S10-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S10 (Poland)]]Toruń bypass (fragment)12.4 kmSingle carriageway
Kobylanka bypass13.8 kmPartially (7 km) single carriageway
Stargard bypass13.5 km
Bydgoszcz bypass (fragment)10.4 km
Wyrzysk bypass7.8 kmSingle carriageway
[[File:S11-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S11 (Poland)]]Poznań - Kórnik14.1 km
Ostrów Wlkp. bypass (northern part)6.1 kmSingle carriageway
[[File:S12-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S12 (Poland)]]Piaski bypass4 km
Puławy bypass12.7 kmPartially (8.7 km) single carriageway
[[File:S16-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S16 (Poland)]]Barczewo – Biskupiec20.1 kmSingle carriageway
[[File:S17-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S17 (Poland)]]Garwolin bypass12.8 km
[[File:S19-PL.svgframeless40x40pxlink=Expressway S19 (Poland)]]Międzyrzec Podlaski bypass6.3 kmSingle carriageway
[[File:S22-PL.svgframeless39x39pxlink=Expressway S22 (Poland)]]Elbląg - Grzechotki / Kaliningrad Oblast51.6 kmSingle carriageway; constructed in place of a partially destroyed motorway from the 1930s
[[File:S52-PL.svgframeless39x39pxlink=Expressway S52 (Poland)]]Cieszyn [[File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svgframeless36x36px]] - Bielsko-Biała (Komorowice)28 km2002 - 20052005 - 2007
(in sections)Then signed S1
Total1055.6 km of which 276.6 km single carriageway, 100.7 km reconstructed

2011 – 2015

In the five years from 2011 to 2015, 1563 kilometers of motorways and expressways were opened – about as much as in the whole prior history of highway construction combined. The main focus was on developing connections between Poland's largest cities, especially those serving as host venues of UEFA Euro 2012, as well as on extending A4 towards Ukraine.

YearLengthNotes
2011313 km
2012639 kmOf which 195 km were opened before Euro 2012 championship
2013298 km
2014279 km
201534 km
Total1563 kmOf which 26 km first carriageway, 23 km second carriageway

The sections opened in 2011 – 2015 belonged to the following highways:

  • [[File:A1-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=A1 autostrada (Poland)]]: + 273 km (A1 on the section Gdańsk – Łódź was completed in 2014)
  • [[File:A2-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=A2 autostrada (Poland)]][[File:S2-PL.svg|frameless|36px|link=Expressway S2 (Poland)]]: + 234 km (A2 on the section Germany – Warsaw was completed in 2012)
  • [[File:S3-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S3 (Poland)]]: + 88 km (S3 on the section Szczecin – A2 – Zielona Góra was completed in 2013, except that its older single-carriageway parts remained so until 2017)
  • [[File:A4-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=A4 autostrada (Poland)]]: + 183 km
  • [[File:S7-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S7 (Poland)]]: + 138 km
  • [[File:A8-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=A8 autostrada (Poland)]][[File:S8-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S8 (Poland)]]: + 365 km (S8 on the section Wrocław – Łódź was completed in 2014)
  • [[File:S1-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S1 (Poland)]][[File:S5-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S5 (Poland)]][[File:S6-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S6 (Poland)]][[File:S11-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S11 (Poland)]][[File:S12-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S12 (Poland)]][[File:S17-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S17 (Poland)]][[File:S19-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S19 (Poland)]][[File:S51-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S51 (Poland)]][[File:S61-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S61 (Poland)]][[File:S74-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S74 (Poland)]][[File:S79-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S79 (Poland)]]: + 282 km in total

2016 – 2020

The highway network in 2020

After the peak of investments before Euro 2012, very few new contracts for road construction were signed in 2012 and 2013. This resulted in a small number of sections being opened in 2015 and 2016, a large share of which were the last delayed fragments originally scheduled for a Euro 2012 opening. In particular:

  • In 2016, the last delayed fragment of [[File:A4-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=A4 autostrada (Poland)]] between Kraków and Ukraine was opened, making A4 the first major Polish highway completed on its whole length, as well as the first complete border-to-border highway connection.
  • Also in 2016, the delayed bypass of Łódź was finished, making [[File:A1-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=A1 autostrada (Poland)]] completed on its whole route except for those sections where national road 1 had already been a dual carriageway (see In the 1970s), allowing for a significantly lower priority of constructing the remaining stretch compared to other highways.

Since 2014, the number of signed contracts has risen again, resulting in the number of road openings having risen again since 2017.

YearLengthNotes
2016123 km
2017295 km
2018318 km
2019410 km
2020135 km
Total1281 kmOf which 13 km first carriageway, 81 km second carriageway

The sections opened in 2016 – 2020 belonged to the following highways:

  • [[File:S3-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S3 (Poland)]]: + 173 km
  • [[File:S5-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S5 (Poland)]]: + 227 km (S5 on the section Poznań – Wrocław was completed in 2019)
  • [[File:S6-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S6 (Poland)]]: + 128 km (S6 on the section Szczecin – Koszalin was completed in 2019)
  • [[File:S7-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S7 (Poland)]]: + 213 km
  • [[File:S8-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S8 (Poland)]]: + 128 km (S8 on its originally intended route from Wrocław to Białystok was completed in 2019; an extension to Kłodzko was later added to the plans)
  • [[File:S17-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S17 (Poland)]]: + 97 km (S17 on the section Warsaw – Lublin was completed in 2020)
  • [[File:A1-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=A1 autostrada (Poland)]][[File:A2-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=A2 autostrada (Poland)]][[File:S2-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S2 (Poland)]][[File:A4-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=A4 autostrada (Poland)]][[File:S11-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S11 (Poland)]][[File:S12-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S12 (Poland)]][[File:S19-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S19 (Poland)]][[File:S51-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S51 (Poland)]][[File:S61-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S61 (Poland)]]: + 315 km in total (A4 was completed in 2016)

2021 – 2025

The highway network in 2025

The high tempo of highway development continued in the 2020s. The main focus was on construction of new highways in the less populated eastern Poland, including the international routes Via Carpatia and Via Baltica.

YearLengthNotes
2021375 km
2022267 km
2023245 km
2024123 km
2025268 km
Total1278 kmOf which 7 km first carriageway, 94 km second carriageway

The sections opened in 2021 – 2025 belonged to the following highways:

  • [[File:A1-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=A1 autostrada (Poland)]]: + 81 km (A1 was completed in 2022)
  • [[File:S3-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S3 (Poland)]]: + 104 km (S3 was completed in 2025)
  • [[File:S6-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S6 (Poland)]]: + 108 km
  • [[File:S7-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S7 (Poland)]]: + 222 km (S7 on the section Warsaw – Kraków was completed in 2024; a temporary detour through Kraków north-western bypass is in use until Kraków eastern bypass gets completed in 2026)
  • [[File:S11-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S11 (Poland)]]: + 80 km
  • [[File:A18-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=A18 autostrada (Poland)]]: + 70 km (reconstruction of the pre-WWII southern carriageway of A18 was completed in 2023)
  • [[File:S19-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S19 (Poland)]]: + 186 km (S19 "Via Carpathia" on the section Lublin – Rzeszów was completed in 2022, except that its older fragment with 2+1 lanes remains so until 2026)
  • [[File:S61-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S61 (Poland)]]: + 183 km (S61 "Via Baltica" was completed in 2025)
  • [[File:S1-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S1 (Poland)]][[File:A2-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=A2 autostrada (Poland)]][[File:S2-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S2 (Poland)]][[File:S5-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S5 (Poland)]][[File:S14-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S14 (Poland)]][[File:S16-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S16 (Poland)]][[File:S17-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S17 (Poland)]][[File:S52-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S52 (Poland)]][[File:S74-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S74 (Poland)]]: + 249 km in total (S5 was completed in 2022 except its newly planned extensions to Ostróda and Bolków)

2026 – present

YearLengthNotes
2026232 kmOpened sections and scheduled openings
2027 – 2030940 kmPlanned completion of ongoing contracts
Ongoing tenders for A2 and S6 (figure subject to change)
Total1172 kmOf which 67 km second carriageway

The sections opened and planned to get opened in 2026 – 2030 belong to the following highways:

  • [[File:A2-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=A2 autostrada (Poland)]]: + 83 km
  • [[File:S6-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S6 (Poland)]]: + 88 km (S6/A6 is scheduled to get completed in 2026 on its original route from Germany to Gdańsk; western bypass of Szczecin will be constructed later as an alternative route)
  • [[File:S10-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S10 (Poland)]]: + 171 km
  • [[File:S11-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S11 (Poland)]]: + 126 km
  • [[File:S12-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S12 (Poland)]]: + 98 km
  • [[File:S17-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S17 (Poland)]]: + 92 km
  • [[File:S19-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S19 (Poland)]]: + 290 km ("Via Carpatia")
  • [[File:S74-PL.svg|frameless|x18px|link=Expressway S74 (Poland)]]: + 99 km
  • [[File:S1-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S1 (Poland)]][[File:S7-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S7 (Poland)]][[File:S8-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S8 (Poland)]][[File:S16-PL.svg|frameless|x15px|link=Expressway S16 (Poland)]]: + 125 km in total (S1 is scheduled to get completed in 2027)

Total length of highways by year

YearLength of motorways and expressways (end of the year)
1936 (then Nazi Germany)92 km
1937 (then Nazi Germany)104 km and 38 km first carriageway
1938–1945 (then Nazi Germany)133 km and 135 km first carriageway (further below not considered as a motorway until addition of the second carriageway)
1939–1945 (Poland)28km (today not considered as a highway)
1945–1976133 km
1977169 km
1978169 km
1979190 km
1980190 km
1981190 km
1982190 km
1983255 km
1984278 km
1985321 km
1986327 km
1987327 km
1988348 km
1989366 km
1990381 km
1991399 km
1992399 km
1993403 km
1994405 km
1995440 km
1996453 km
1997456 km
1998490 km
1999502 km
2000592 km
2001630 km
2002639 km
2003727 km
2004781 km
2005848 km
20061013 km
20071083 km
20081282 km
20091454 km
20101560 km
20111865 km
20122495 km
20132805 km
20143100 km
20153131 km
20163252 km
20173510 km
20183811 km
20194214 km
20204337 km
20214690 km
20224933 km
20235116 km
20245206 km
20255468 km
20265700 km (forecast)
20275850 km (forecast)
20286188 km (forecast)
20296502 km (forecast)
20306573 km (forecast)
20316780 km (forecast)
2032url=https://www.gov.pl/web/gddkia/przetargi-planowane-do-ogloszenia-w-2025-rtitle=Przetargi planowane do ogłoszenia w 2025 r. - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.plwebsite=Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostradaccessdate=26 February 2025}})
2036approx. 8000 km (plans)
2040approx. 8250 km – full network (plans)

Notes

References

References

  1. "LEX".
  2. Here and in the following figures, construction of 1st or 2nd carriageway is accounted as half-length for consistency of the summed results. Sections constructed by Nazi Germany are accounted for the dates of their reconstruction to modern highways.
  3. "Wybierz województwo - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl".
  4. "Autostrady :: Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Strona Główna".
  5. Including [[design–build]] contracts; see the [[Highways in Poland#List of motorways and expressways. List of motorways and expressways]] for details on the phases of construction and design.
  6. (August 2025)
  7. "Rozporządzenie Rady Ministrów z dnia 15 maja 2004 r. w sprawie sieci autostrad i dróg ekspresowych".
  8. "Rozporządzenie Rady Ministrów z dnia 20 października 2009 r. zmieniające rozporząsdzenie w sprawie sieci autostrad i dróg ekspresowych".
  9. "Dziennik Ustaw 2019 r. poz. 1819".
  10. to [[Ostróda]] in 2015 and to [[Bolków]] in 2019
  11. to [[Kłodzko]] in 2019
  12. to [[Wołomin]] in 2015
  13. "Zmiany w rozporządzeniu w sprawie sieci autostrad i dróg ekspresowych - Ministerstwo Infrastruktury i Budownictwa".
  14. (January 2026)
  15. "Wayback Machine".
  16. "Rządowy Plan Budowy Dróg do 2030 roku".
  17. "Spotkania konsultacyjne w sprawie budowy odcinka Rabka - Chyżne".
  18. "Nowa Zakopianka - w oczekiwaniu na wariant społeczny - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl".
  19. (9 April 2024). "PEŁNY ZAPIS PRZEBIEGU POSIEDZENIA Komisji infrastruKtury (nr 20) z dnia 9 kwietnia 2024 r". KANCELARIA SEJMU Biuro Komisji Sejmowych.
  20. "Umowa na analizę dla rozbudowy A4 Wrocław – Krzyżowa podpisana! :: Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Serwis informacyjny".
  21. "S3 Miękowo - Rzęśnica :: Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Serwis informacyjny".
  22. "Miekowo Rześnica".
  23. "Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl".
  24. "A6 Szczecin Dąbie - Rzęśnica :: Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Serwis informacyjny".
  25. "Toll-free travel on motorway sections managed by GDDKiA (A2 Konin-Stryków and A4 Wrocław-Sośnica) for light vehicles from 1 July 2023.". e-TOLL.
  26. "Cała autostrada A1 bezpłatna dla samochodów osobowych i motocykli - Ministerstwo Infrastruktury - Portal Gov.pl".
  27. "Vehicles subject to compulsory electronic toll settlement - viaTOLL".
  28. "Autopay - Comfortable automatic payments - Autopay".
  29. "Koniec stania przy bramkach. Autopay na państwowych autostradach od 1 grudnia - Autopay".
  30. (27 June 2025). "Minister wyjaśnia, kiedy przejazd A1 będzie bez opłat".
  31. "Types of vehicles for which toll is collected".
  32. "Archived copy".
  33. https://www.gov.pl/attachment/f49c90ff-eb1c-469c-8ab4-04bf91ac7db0 {{Bare URL PDF. (March 2022)
  34. "Archived copy".
  35. https://www.archiwum.gddkia.gov.pl/userfiles/articles/g/GENERALNY_POMIAR_RUCHU_2010/0.1.1.5_Synteza_GPR_2010.pdf {{Bare URL PDF. (March 2022)
  36. "Generalny Pomiar Ruchu 2025 - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl".
  37. "Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl".
  38. "Generalny Pomiar Ruchu 2020/2021 - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl".
  39. https://www.archiwum.gddkia.gov.pl/frontend/web/userfiles/articles/s/stacje-ciaglych-pomiarow-ruchu-d_41706/WARSZAWA/2023/14018_2023.pdf {{Bare URL PDF. (August 2025)
  40. (25 July 2023). "W kwietniu przetarg w sprawie drogi między Ruczajem a Skawiną. Co z tramwajem?".
  41. https://www.archiwum.gddkia.gov.pl/frontend/web/userfiles/articles/s/stacje-ciaglych-pomiarow-ruchu-d_41706/OLSZTYN/2023/28802_2023.pdf {{Bare URL PDF. (August 2025)
  42. https://www.archiwum.gddkia.gov.pl/frontend/web/userfiles/articles/s/stacje-ciaglych-pomiarow-ruchu-d_41706/RZESZOW/2023/18804_2023.pdf {{Bare URL PDF. (August 2025)
  43. "Zamów domenę".
  44. "Historia - Autostrada Wielkopolska SA".
  45. "Historia przedsięwzięcia".
  46. "Wspólnota europejska i polskie drogi - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl".
  47. "W 2026 r. udostępnimy ponad 290 km dróg".
  48. "Przetargi planowane do ogłoszenia w 2025 r. - Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad - Portal Gov.pl".
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