PORR intends to begin road construction work in the second half of 2021. Credit: PORR AG.

Austrian construction company PORR has secured a €115m contract from the Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA).

As per the terms of the contract, PORR will be responsible for the design and construction of the S16 expressway Olsztyn-Ełk in the section from Borki Wielkie to Mrągowo.

PORR CEO Karl-Heinz Strauss said: “With the S16 we have secured another major infrastructure project in Poland. The section is an important traffic hub with enormous importance for the region, the country and international traffic.

“This is a perfect fit for our skillset and gives us the opportunity to once again demonstrate our comprehensive expertise in road and infrastructure construction.”

The scope of the contract includes the design and construction of a 13km-long dual-carriageway express road between Borki Wielkie and Mrągowo.

The expressway will feature two lanes in each direction, as well as Mrągowo’s ring road and paving over with asphalt.

The Mrągowo’s ring road is expected to significantly reduce transit traffic as it will enable drivers to bypass the city on its south-east side.

PORR intends to begin road construction work in the second half of 2021 and expects to complete the project by the fourth quarter of 2023.

In addition, the project will also see the installation of noise barriers, as well as crash barriers and the construction of retention basins and animal crossings.

The new road section will run near the cities Borki Wielkie, Sorkwity, Nowe Bagienice, Marcinkowo, and can be accessed through the interchanges present at Sorkwity, Bagienice and Mrągowo.

The S16 expressway is said to be an important part in the region’s transport system and therefore is termed the ‘backbone’ of Warmia and Mazury.

In August 2017, PORR secured a £45m contract from GDDKiA for the design and construction of the dual-level Lubelska traffic hub in central Poland.