The demolition of the flyover is a huge opportunity for the revitalization of Chorzów. We have a chance to carry out this process professionally and substantively, based on data and modeling of the movement – the well -known and awarded Chorzów architect Maciej Franta pointed out in an interview with PAP.
The expert opinion carried out at the request of the Municipal Office in Chorzów showed that the flyover in the city center “does not show any load capacity and will fail or disaster.” The flyover on Monday was excluded from use, it will have to be demolished – said the media city president Szymon Michałek.
In an interview with PAP, the architect stated that in this situation he noticed a big problem for the local government, and at the same time a chance to improve the quality of life of residents in the very center of the city and more.
“Freedom and DK79 brutally cross Chorzów. This is a deep wound in the urban layout of the city. If we demolish the flyover, it can revitalize the entire DK79 section from Chorzów II to the Silesian Stadium. We could give up the city highway, significantly reduce noise and air pollution“ Frant suggested.
He pointed out that after demolishing a new market in place of the flyover, a new market could be built, referring to the old, full of greenery, which was there before the construction of the flyover in the 1970s. However, traffic on today's DK79 could be calmed down and reduced to local traffic by narrowing the road, planting greenery and construction of bicycle paths. This solution would allow, among others Harmoniously connect the city with the Silesian Park.
He added that it is also a chance for Katowice, which will gain to calm down the road along the Millennium estate, which divides them from the Silesian Park.
“The demolition of the flyover is a huge opportunity for the revitalization of Chorzów. We have a chance to conduct this process professionally and substantively, based on data and modeling. Chorzów is more than just being a through route between Bytom and Katowice. Especially because drivers can choose alternative routes, such as DTŚ (DTŚ road route – PAP)“ – Frant emphasized.
He signaled that the cooperation of the local government with the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie metropolis, which has its metropolitan Prototyping School dealing with the resolution of urban problems, the local government of the province. Silesia and the government.
The architect reminded that Prime Minister Donald Tusk recently came to Bytom and assured that he would receive PLN 200 million for the renovation of vacancieswhich he promised in the campaign before the parliamentary elections in 2023. “It seems to me that it would be honest if the Ministry of Infrastructure or another ministry transferred PLN 200-300 million to revitalize the key space for Chorzów-the market and the axis, which is currently determined by DK79,” said French.
The local government announced that the demolition and reconstruction of the flyover cost about PLN 200 million, and the alternative is the construction of a new city beltway.
According to French, there is no need to return to ideas from years ago, which assumed the construction of a large beltway. He noted that when it was planned, there were no alternative routes such as DTŚ. He estimated that it is enough to build connections with an access character, which will allow you to unload traffic in the direction of, among others DTŚ.
He stipulated that for a few days of closing the flyover, traffic jams will probably form, but later drivers get used to alternative routes.
“Trying to rebuild a flyover or introduce another similar road solution to this place, we condemn the inhabitants of Chorzów to the next few dozen years of life in noise and air pollution. We condemn them to the market, which has no right to exist. We condemn them to the artificial division of the city into two parts. We simply condemn them to poor quality of life and in this direction we should not measure at all“ – Frant emphasized.
He pointed out that even about 95 percent Cars that passed a flyover every day are transit traffic. According to the town hall estimates, it is about 80 percent, and every day it passed a flyover over 40 thousand. vehicles.
The Chorzów flyover was founded in the 1970s to solve communication problems in this part of the city. Above the city market, two two -lane, several hundred meters of flyover viaducts, which were put into use in 1979. This significantly improved moving on the Katowice – Bytom route, but completely changed the face of the center of Chorzów. Ideas regarding the demolition of the flyover appeared many times, but it never happened.
The expertise, which was referred to by the Municipal Office in Chorzów, showed that the flyover was built of high -carbon steel, which is susceptible to unusual corrosion and sometimes loses its properties. This type of steel, from the GDR, was used, among others In the construction of the bridge in Dresden, which succumbed to the disaster in 2024.
Construction supervision will give the local government to strengthen a closed flyover in the city center
The Provincial Inspectorate of Building Supervision in Katowice will be a matter of the local government to strengthen the closed flyover along DK79 (ul. Katowicka) – said voivode Marek Wójcik. On Friday at the Silesian Voivodship Office, a meeting of the Provincial Crisis Management Team on the flyover.
Chorzów authorities decided to exclude the flyover from the use of the flyover on Monday. At that time, they received an expertise in which it was indicated that this should be done immediately due to the terrible technical condition of the object, which may fail or disaster at any time.
“Construction supervision decided to commit the President of Chorzów to take action related to the temporary security of the facility in order to be able to restore its functioning in the future. (…) I think that the decision to strengthen the object and bring to a situation in which it will be possible to travel trams under the flyover, pedestrian traffic, maybe research will also confirm the possibility of car traffic on the flyover. Wójcik.
The head of the Provincial Building Supervision Inspectorate in Katowice Elżbieta Oczkowicz explained that it is still necessary to prepare documentation for a formal decision. She announced that she would be ready within a few hours.
She indicated that the strengthening of the flyover should consist of supporting its spans with steel structures – as recommended in the expertise prepared at the request of the Municipal Office in Chorzów.
“The manager of the facility will have the opportunity to make a decision in the field of restoring the use of this object in its entirety,” signaled Elżbieta Oczkowicz.
The voivode pointed out that the decision on the future of the flyover – renovation, demolition and reconstruction or construction of the city beltway – will be taken by the manager of the facility, i.e. the local government. He emphasized that he would probably take several years, and at that time “ensure the proper functioning of both public transport in the agglomeration and minimize the troubles that the inhabitants of Chorzów struggle with.”
The exclusion of the flyover from use caused serious traffic problems, both cars and pedestrians and public transport – buses, trams and trains. The magistrate data showed that about 45,000 passed the flyover every day. vehicles, and over 80 percent It was transit traffic. Ul. Katowicka (DK79) is an important connection between Bytom and Katowice.
On Wednesday, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe decided to restore rail traffic under the flyover. They reported that it would take place under the supervision of PKP PLK employees.
Advisor of the Ministry of Infrastructure for Engineering Facilities at PKP PLK prof. Janusz Rymsza reminded that the flyover was thoroughly renovated in 2011-2014. Then its part – located above the railway tracks – was strengthened with “external compression”, which the condition was assessed as good.
“Considering security, I think that rail traffic under this span may take place. (…) The technical condition of this flyover is not good. However, the fact that it is external coupling means that we can lead this monitoring (…). For now, nothing threatens us. You can safely go under this span” – said prof. Janusz Rymsza.
In his opinion, it is worth making an additional expertise on the technical condition of the flyover.
According to the authors of the expertise, the failure or disaster of the Chorzów flyover may occur at any time. Analysis of documents and studies showed that the biggest problem of the object is the high -carbon steel used during its construction, very susceptible to stress corrosion.
In the expertise, the Caroli Bridge in Dresden was given as an example, which was made of the same type and put into use – like the Chorzów flyover – in the 1970s. In 2024, its fragment collapsed.
Prof. Janusz Rymsza pointed out that the Caroli Bridge and Chorzów flyover are “completely different objects”. They differ, among others scale and construction, which means that they behave differently.
The Chorzów flyover was founded in the 1970s to solve communication problems in this part of the city. Above the city market, two two -lane, several hundred meters viaducts were built, which was put into use in 1979. This significantly improved moving on the Katowice – Bytom route, but completely changed the face of the center of Chorzów. Ideas regarding the demolition of the flyover appeared many times, but they were never implemented. (PAP)
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