Stalexport Autostrady is urging public authorities to accelerate work on expanding the A4 motorway between Kraków and Katowice by adding a third lane. According to the motorway operator, the design phase could begin immediately, significantly reducing the overall project timeline. Otherwise, within the next two years, motorists using this route will face severe traffic congestion.
Maintaining the high technical standard of the A4 Katowice-Kraków motorway and ensuring user safety remain top priorities for the Stalexport Autostrady S.A. Group. The group is currently completing the final phase of modernization work before its concession expires in March 2027. Given the high traffic volume and its potential growth, the company is ready to collaborate with public authorities in designing and expanding the motorway to include a third lane.
“We are reaching a point where the concession is ending, and the motorway needs expansion. A third lane and increased load capacity of bridges are necessary not only for driver comfort but also for infrastructure modernization from a logistical perspective, particularly military logistics,” said Andrzej Kaczmarek, CEO of Stalexport Autostrady S.A., in an interview with Newseria.
The company highlights the need to adapt the infrastructure to NATO standards. Investments should include increasing the load-bearing capacity of bridges and viaducts, expanding exits, and improving capacity. Given the current geopolitical situation, this corridor is vital for military transport connecting Western and Eastern Europe.
“The A4 motorway requires urgent expansion with a third lane due to the expected significant increase in traffic and the risk of congestion. The current average daily traffic stands at 50,000 vehicles. Additionally, the load capacity of some bridges is insufficient. The motorway infrastructure was never designed for such traffic volumes or for oversized military vehicles. We currently have nearly 10,000 trucks per day, many carrying loads that were not previously anticipated for this route,” the CEO added.
Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska, which holds the concession for the A4 motorway section between Kraków and Katowice, will see its concession expire in March 2027. After this, the A4 section will be managed by the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA). The Ministry of Infrastructure has announced the possibility of eliminating tolls for passenger vehicles.
“In Spain, after tolls were lifted on several motorways, traffic increased by over 70% overnight. For the A4, this would effectively mean a complete standstill due to traffic congestion,” Kaczmarek pointed out.
According to Stalexport, 239.4 million PLN has been allocated for investments in 2024, and by the end of the concession period, expenditures on road surface replacement and other investments will exceed 400 million PLN. The total value of contracts signed in 2023-2024 for motorway modernization was approximately 540 million PLN. Adapting the motorway to new challenges related to increased traffic and military transport will require additional significant investments, which will have to be covered by public funds.
“As a country, we have numerous new infrastructure needs, and from my perspective, we cannot execute these projects solely using resources from the National Road Fund and the capabilities of GDDKiA,” said Kaczmarek. “We can accelerate these processes by utilizing private capital.”
The CEO also emphasized that Poland cannot afford to eliminate motorway tolls. In transit-oriented economies such as the Czech Republic, Austria, and Italy, toll payments have been addressed through systematic solutions. Similar measures are necessary in Poland, especially as road infrastructure will begin to deteriorate in the coming years. The motorway operator reminds that under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), public authorities regularly share in the revenues from tolls. In 2024 alone, payments to the state treasury amounted to 126.5 million PLN, and since 2018, total payments exceeded 503 million PLN net. This provides an additional, significant contribution to the national budget, separate from VAT and CIT taxes paid by the Group, which totaled nearly 85 million PLN in 2024.
“The use of a motorway comes with costs, including daily maintenance and periodic renovations. If these costs are not directly covered by motorway users, funds must be found in the state budget. In the EU, the principle is that the user and the polluter both pay,” Kaczmarek stressed.
Given the necessity of ensuring rapid access to road infrastructure for military transport, adopting a government strategy for road expansion involving private sector participation may be crucial.
“One of the priorities of Poland’s presidency in the EU Council is transport network quality. Additionally, the EU’s new ReArm Europe program addresses issues related to military transport. Now is the right time to consider private sector involvement in these projects. If public funds and resources are already allocated, the only remaining source is private capital and expertise,” stated Kaczmarek.
Experts increasingly highlight the need for greater private sector participation in infrastructure projects. Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) remain an underutilized tool in Poland for quickly developing motorways, where a single private partner handles both the construction and maintenance phases of a project.
