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One of the largest road investments in Poznan starts in autumn, with the Kaponiera roundabout in the very heart of the city?s transportation system is to be reconstructed.
?Kaponiera is in a very poor technical condition and requires a total construction makeover,? says Kazimierz Skałecki, Deputy Director of the Municipal Road Board in Poznan.
The investor announces considerable obstructions in tram and, particularly, motor traffic. The eastern carriageway of ul. Roosevelta will be closed, because it lies at the supporting construction to be reconstructed. New traffic organisation for the time of street closure is currently being prepared. It will be ready in about 2-3 months and then transferred for consultation to the City Hall, the Municipal Transport Board and institutions located in the vicinity.
Works involve construction of a new bridge-like structure, as this is the nature of the street from the Teatralny Bridge to ul. Bukowska. The inside part of the Kaponiera Roundabout, that is the underground passage, will be modernised and reconstructed. Reconstruction of the structure on which the eastern part of ul. Roosevelta lies, also involves construction of the Poznan Fast Tram expansion to the Main Railway Station.
At the Uniwersytecki Bridge there will be built a ?Pestki? stop (for the Poznan Fast Tram) that will be connected to the Kaponiera Roundabout with escalators and lifts. All ways out of the Kaponiera Roundabout will also be equipped with escalators. The Uniwersytecki Bridge and the Kaponiera Roundabout will become the main transfer node in the city centre. At the bridge there will be glazed pathways out of the roundabout and the Pestki stop. The Kaponiera underground will have two levels. From the roundabout, one will be able to go to the fast tram stop. There are spots assigned for a cafe, kiosk and city information point.
Mirosław Kruszyński, Deputy Mayor of Poznan, and Maria Strzałko, city heritage conservator, finally approved the reconstruction?s architectural design, as developed by the BTE Projekt studio. Reconstruction will utilise such materials as glass, concrete and granite slabs.
?Kaponiera underground will still perform their previous functions. The main telecommunications switching station of the city, tram transformer station and the same number of parking slots as today will all be there. So the functions will not change. What will be new is the connection of the PST tram route to platform 7 of the station via the Uniwersytecki Bridge,? says director Skałecki.
The underground will retain the previous commercial and usable premises but their functions are still unknown. The entire underground may be rented to a specific company to be managed. It is also envisaged to open a so-called railway caponier, which is part of the city?s former fortifications.
In the second half of the year it is planned to announce tenders for the contractors of both Kaponiera Roundabout and the fast tram line.
?It has to be an efficient, flexible contractor. Most elements of the underground infrastructure are known, but there will certainly be many surprises, including war-related surprises,? observes Kazimierz Skałecki.
The cost of the Kaponiera reconstruction is estimated at PLN 150 million. The city will spend PLN 235 million on both investments. The whole venture is to be finished by May 2012. |
