Expressway S3: Directly to the Baltic Sea – reaching Usedom is now easier!

Expressway S3: Directly to the Baltic Sea – reaching Usedom is now easier!

The newly completed S3 expressway in Poland opens up exciting opportunities for travelers and holidaymakers. After almost two decades of construction, the connection between the Baltic Sea and the Czech border near Lubawka is now fully navigable. On October 20th, the last section between Świnoujście and Międzyzdroje was officially opened. Loud Baltic Sea newspaper The S3, with a length of 471 kilometers, is not only important for transport connections, but also offers a third access to the popular island of Usedom.

The route has both locals and tourists in mind - travelers from the Czech Republic and the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg should be particularly pleased. The S3 will become part of the Trans-European Baltic-Adriatic Transport Corridor (TEN-T) and the European route E65. Nevertheless, the construction work was marked by numerous delays, disputes and changing contractors, which delayed completion. Thousands of trees had to be felled in the Wolin National Park to make room for the new road connection.

Financing and infrastructure

The entire construction process was also cost-intensive: over 15 billion zloty (around 3.5 billion euros) were invested. More than half of this amount comes from EU funds, with 757 million zloty (approx. 178 million euros) attributable to the programs of the “European Fund for Infrastructure, Climate and Environment”. These investments should not only strengthen the region around Świnoujście, but also sustainably improve the entire Polish road and transport network GTAI.

However, two rest areas are currently in the works, which will also contribute to the attractiveness of the S3. The numerous sub-projects – from the Troszyn bypass to the junctions near Goleniów and Szczecin – reflect the different construction phases that took place throughout the entire construction period. The junction between Międzyrzecz Północ and Międzyrzecz Południe alone stretches over 6.4 kilometers and was put into operation between 2004 and 2006, which illustrates the complexity of the entire project.

Prospects and future projects

The economic prospects are promising. Tenders for infrastructure projects worth 6.6 billion euros are planned for 2025, of which 52.6 percent will flow into rail infrastructure. Regions close to the border can benefit from the new measures, with large projects such as Rail Baltica also being initiated. PKP PLK, the state-owned operator, is planning modernization work that will almost double high speed on certain routes.

For the region around Świnoujście and Usedom, the completed S3 not only represents progress in accessibility, but also strengthens the tourist attractiveness and enables better connections to the supra-regional infrastructure. These developments could bring the region more into the focus of international travelers and provide new economic stimulus.