Long road to EU standards
The roads authority Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Publicznych has a plan to bring up the Polish network to EU standards. They see it being fulfilled by 2015. This optimistic forecast involves 4,800km of dual carriageways and motorways crossing the nation. It will cost the state PLN71.4bn.
The motorway building plan alone will cost PLN30.5m in this period. Central government will find only PLN11bn of this. The cost of building 1,500km of dual carriageways will swallow another PLN18.5bn and the TINA programme which foresees the construction of by passes, strengthening bridges and improving safety will take a further PLN8.2bn and involve the construction of 2,400km of roads.
Indeed the whole programme will cost around PLN150bn. The construction of a further 10,000km of roads outside of the TINA programme is also foreseen and around PLN55bn will be required for it. Part of this programme also envisages the privatisation of roads.
Investors have welcomed the plans criticising only the time it took to introduce them. Nonetheless the project can only be realised if both the EU and state dig deep into their pockets and find cash for the road authority GDDP. Last year the GDDP received PLN3bn for the upkeep of roads. To maintain roads in their current dismal state will require PLN5.7bn this year. The programme foresees an annual budget for the GDDP of PLN30bn by 2015. The GDDP is hoping the government might allow it a bit more from the excise duty on automotive fuels. Currently thirty percent is granted, the authority would like to have 35 percent.