A1

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a loan of €250m to Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) for the building of an additional section of the A1, a vital motorway in Poland.

The loan will be used for the construction of a 144km stretch of dual two-lane tolled motorway on a new alignment from Torun to Stryków, along with associated access roads in central part of the country.

This loan is the second tranche of the EIB finance for the construction of this section.

EIB had already provided a loan of €350m for the project.

BGK president Dariusz Kacprzyk said: "This loan providing funds for the construction of another section of the A1 motorway fits perfectly into BGK’s strategy, which assumes our intensified presence in the sector of transport infrastructure development."

"Ultimately, this will strengthen the economic competitiveness of Poland and increase the quality of life of Polish citizens."

EIB Poland lending vice-president László Baranyay said: "EIB funds will help to eliminate bottlenecks and reduce travel time on one of the main Polish motorways by providing additional capacity and contributing to improved travel quality and safety. Ultimately, this will strengthen the economic competitiveness of Poland and increase the quality of life of Polish citizens."

The latest project is part of a wider programme of the overall development of 580km of the A1 motorway, a part of the priority trans-European network (TEN-T) corridors.

The A1 motorway connects the Baltic Sea across Poland and the Czech Republic and Slovakia to Austria, providing a modern transit connection between Gdansk and Vienna via Katowice and Brno.

Image: The project involves construction of a section of A1 motorway linking Torun and Strykow. Photo: courtesy of European Investment Bank.