Warsaw Southern Bypass – further east through Ursynów

Out for a longer Sunday early-afternoon walk through the neighbourhood to behold and share with the readers the progress of works commencing on POW (Southern Warsaw Bypass = Południowa Obwodnica Warszawy) construction site. I should have begun with a decent photo taken at the very end of S2 expressway (where cars do a U-turn to get onto ul. Puławska towards city centre) from where a view to the future route splays out, but I have not grabbed the smartphone a week ago, waiting for traffic lights to alter, the opportunity missed. Today, I have taken the camera with myself. Pardon quality of some pictures, as they were taken against the sunlight.

To the right, a former field east of Auchan hypermarket premises. This used to be a truly untouched terrain, an area cherished by MTB riders (nice bumpy paths) and dog-minders taking their animal friends for long walks. Those days are now a memory. The ground is fenced off, little is going on around so far.

Looking in the opposite direction, at blocks of flats on the northern side of ul. Płaskowickiej. Where I stand, Ursynów Zachód junction will be built, while ul. Indiry Gandhi (unfinished, straight ahead) will be extended and become a dual carriageway carrying the traffic into the expressway. Dwellers of these blocks must be truly delighted to find this just outsie their windows. (PS. watch out for the yellow banner on one of the balconies – a two-bedroom flat is up for sale)

Getting closer to what used to be a roundabout (now a regular intersection with traffic lights) where ul. Płaskowickiej and ul. Pileckiego cross each other. Here is where the lanes onto the tunnel are dug. Somewhere around here two large chimneys, lacking anti-fume filters (for which locals have called out for), will be erected. Again, properties in the area are bound to lose value, especially since even after the construction is completed, noise and fumes will become the order of the day around here.

Strolling further east, I reach the intersection with ul. Stryjeńskich. Construction site is fenced off on both sides; the roundabout still functions. The only three streets to remain passable through the entire building period are: ul. Stryjeńskich, Al. KEN and ul. Rosoła. Traffic chaos is probably inevitable, yet indispensable. In the distance, caretaker Stanisław Anioł, marvellously painted on the wall of a nearby block.

Not far later, I run across remnants of Bazarek na Dołku. A huge squabble sparked off around the place appreciated by locals and doggedly defended by merchants and their allies. I have not kept track of news on the matter of fair recently, but judging by the number of stalls on the former site of Natolin Północny bus terminus, the new location for merchants is on the other side of Al. KEN. Besides, I wonder how many people still prefer local marketplaces like that one to super- and hypermarkets.

Between Al. KEN and ul. Lanciego I cross ul. Płaskowickiej in a place where it is forbidden to take a snap through a hole in construction site’s fence. I cannot spot what I most wish to see, namely the uncovered tunnel of the underground line. Since the underground rail tunnels are quite shallow, expressway builders will need to dig beneath them (the bypass was planned there back in 1980s when the underground was built, hence no obstacles should appear along the way). Nevertheless, I fear there might be troubles and the southern part of Ursynów might be cut off from the rest of Warsaw underground-wise after an accident similar to the one which flooded the Wisłostrada tunnel in August 2012.

I admit to have known little about eastern fringes of Ursynów, there were very few occasions to venture there and there comes the sight east of ul. Nowoursynowska. Before Ursynów began to grow into a housing estate in 1970s, it consisted of fields, meadows and some farmlands. This squalid place appears to be a remnant of old days; hopefully in a while it will give way to some more civilised development.

At the edge of Ursynów, looking east from the escarpment towards Wilanów. Here the expressway will come out of the tunnel and run near recently built blocks of flat at the southern end of Miasteczko Wilanów. I still wonder how many people check zoning plans before spending thousands of zlotys on a property. For me personally, dwellings in the vicinity of POW have been ruled out of search long ago, despite lower (do not confuse for “more attractive” prices).

Looking forward to delivering some more news on the topic!