Tram line in Częstochowa already in September
The largest investment in the history of Częstochowa trams, implemented as part of the program “Better Communication in Częstochowa”, will be ready soon. Work on the sixth and final stage of the reconstruction of the tram line is nearing its end. Residents will be able to use the trams again in September. And already today (on Wednesday, August 11) the intersection of Aleja Jana Pawła II and Aleja Armii Krajowej with the tracks has been opened to traffic.
The renovation of the track and the overhead line is a nearly 14-kilometre-long section from ul. Fieldorfa-Nila to the loop at Al. Pokoju. The reconstruction is carried out on the existing track system with division into sections: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5a, 6. The investment involves a comprehensive reconstruction of the tram infrastructure, including the replacement of the track surface along with the overhead line and its power supply, control and heating of switches, the reconstruction of the underground infrastructure, as well as the development of new road and track crossings and the reconstruction of platforms with their equipment.
Already in September, trams will go along a completely new track and the communication in the city will change.
“We are at the final stage of reconstruction of the tram infrastructure. Currently, the track is anchored – in the technology of green track, and the assembly of the track in the technology of prefabricated slabs is coming to an end. In August, we plan to complete the installation of the overhead line,” says Barbara Sobczyk, Deputy Project Director at NDI. “In the section 3, we were the first in Poland to build around 1000 metres of single tracks in the technology of anti-smog slabs. These are hollow-core slabs made of catalytic concrete, i.e. concrete that, thanks to the chemical reactions taking place in it, supports air purification and improves air quality in the centre of Częstochowa. As the investment contractor, we are proud to use this innovative technology.”
Thanks to the TX Active technology, which was used to lay the tracks, a photocatalytic surface was created, which guarantees the improvement of air quality in the city centre. As for anti-smog slabs, apart from the obvious environmental values, they also have functional properties, which in this section, in the very centre of the city, is very important. After the slabs are laid, a surface is created that can also be used by emergency vehicles and facilitates servicing of the network.
“It is, in fact, the construction of a new tram line, because apart from replacing the track, we are rebuilding the entire underground infrastructure in the area of the track and more. A new track substructure is being built, a new track structure, a new overhead line and its power supply. We were most concerned about working in the very centre of the city. At the stage of earthworks, we did not know what to expect, but thanks to good cooperation with the contracting authority, municipal institutions, network administrators, as well as thanks to a well-coordinated team, we managed to overcome all obstacles,” adds Barbara Sobczyk from NDI, the general contractor.
Such a large reconstruction is a major inconvenience for the inhabitants of Częstochowa but the end result will be compensation.
“Thanks to what has been built, what will be built, the tram will be safe, comfortable and faster, and it must be such if it is to be an alternative to civil transport. This investment is one element of a wider system. There are also other strategic road investments in Częstochowa, which are either already underway or are about to start. The lack of obstruction of the most important routes crossing the track, as well as the tram itself, as an alternative to moving around the city on the north-south line, are very much needed for the residents of Częstochowa,” says Maciej Hasik from the Municipal Road Administration in Częstochowa and adds: “I think that without major reconstruction, although we are really talking about the construction of a new tram line on an old route, the tram would be an archaic communication solution in the city. Without what happened, thanks to the investment carried out by NDI, the tram would lose its attractiveness.”
So far, 10 kilometres of single track have been rebuilt, including the Raków loop, the MPK depot and the section from the tram terminus in Fierdolfa-Nila Street to Jana Pawła II Avenue. In September, additional finishing and cleaning works are planned, as well as planting and assembly of streetscaping. The value of the investment is PLN 115 million. It is the largest modernisation contract in the history of Częstochowa trams.
Author:
NDI Group
Last Updated on October 15, 2021 by Anastazja Lach