STALEXPORT AUTOSTRADA MAŁOPOLSKA S.A. SUMS UP WORLD YOUTH DAYS ON THE A4 KATOWICE-KRAKÓW
World Youth Days did not bring the anticipated traffic problems on the A4 Katowice-Krakow. Under an agreement signed with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Construction the concessionaire suspended toll collection only twice, for a period of about 3 hours in total.
Traffic volume on the concession stretch of the A4 decreased by 15% between 25 and 31 July as compared to the week preceding World Youth Days, with about 41 thousand vehicles per day.
The A4 Katowice-Krakow was closed twice in connection with the passing of the Pope's motorcade – on 28 July – in the Katowice direction, between 7.20 and 8.30 a.m. and on 29 July – in the Krakow direction between 11.00 a.m. and 12.05 p.m.
Our priority during the World Youth Days was safety and comfort of travelling on our motorway. That is why we decided to suspend toll collection two times: on 28 July, in order to deal with the traffic jam that formed as a result of closing the motorway for the period of passage of the Pope's motorcade to Częstochowa and on 31 July, in connection with the accumulation of pilgrims leaving Krakow at the same time. In both situations there was no need to put up barriers for more than 1.5 hours in order to bring back the traffic flow – says Rafał Czechowski, the spokesperson for Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A.On 28 July toll collection was suspended on the toll plaza in Balice in the Katowice direction from 8.30 to 9.30 a.m. and on the Myslowice toll plaza in the Katowice direction from 8.45 to 9.45 a.m..
On 31 July the concessionaire suspended toll collection on the toll plaza in Balice in the Katowice direction from 7.45 to 9.30 p.m. and on the Myslowice toll plaza in the Katowice direction from 7.45 to 9.30 p.m.
Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A. will not be reimbursed for uncollected tolls and the Ministry will not make any claims about lower income to the State Treasury.
For the period of the World Youth Days even the resurfacing works were suspended on the A4 Katowice-Krakow. From 2 August resurfacing works start between the Jeleń and Balin junctions in the Katowice direction, from km 362 to km 369.
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About Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A. (SAM S.A.)
Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A. manages the 60-kilometre long stretch of the A4 motorway between Katowice and Krakow. It is the first fully functional road of this kind in Poland, built within the framework of public-private partnership as a brownfield investment – modernisation of the road built in the 1970s and 1980s. Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A. has held the concession for its adaptation to the requirements of a toll motorway and operation since 1997. Meeting the concession obligations has required numerous investments. All investment projects, including current maintenance of the road, are financed from tolls for using the concession stretch and from loans obtained from an international bank consortium. Unlike other concessions for managing toll motorways, the project run by Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A. does not burden the state budget in any way. The company does not receive the so-called availability payments from the State. The company does not benefit from any State Treasury subsidies or guarantees.
For further information please contact:
Rafał Czechowski
Spokesperson for SAM S.A.
e-mail: [email protected]
tel. 601063200