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Controlled-access highways in Poland are part of the national roads network and they are divided into motorways and expressways. Both types of highways feature grade-separated interchanges with all other roads, emergency lanes, feeder lanes, wildlife crossings and dedicated roadside rest areas. Motorways differ from expressways in their technical parameters like designated speed, permitted road curvature, lane widths or minimal distances between interchanges. Moreover, expressways might have single-carriageway sections in case of low traffic densities (as of 2024, such sections constitute 3.5% of the highway network).
The development of modern highways began in the 1970s, but proceeded very slowly under the communist rule and for the first years afterwards – between 1970 and 2000 only the total of 434 km of highways were constructed (5% of the planned network).[1] Further 1050 km (13% of the network) were opened from 2001 to 2010, followed by 2773 km (34% of the network) constructed between 2011 and 2020.[2] It is planned to open about 3000 km (about 37%) in the 2020s, while the last 10% would be completed after 2030.[3]
As of May 2024[update], there are 5115,6 km[4] of motorways and expressways in operation (62% of the intended network), while contracts for construction of further 1115 km[5][6] (14% of the network) are ongoing.
Except for the single-carriageway expressways, both types of highways fulfill the definition of a motorway as characterized by OECD, WRA or Vienna Convention. Speed limits in Poland are 140 km/h on motorways and 120 km/h on expressways (100 km/h in case of single-carriageway expressway sections). Some motorway stretches are tolled.
Technical parameters
Motorways are public roads with controlled access which are designated for motor vehicles only, and feature two carriageways with at least two continuous lanes each, divided by a median. They have no one-level intersections with any roads or other forms of land and water transport and have wildlife crossings constructed above the road. They feature emergency lanes and feeder lanes, and are equipped with dedicated roadside rest areas. Motorways are the only roads in Poland which use blue background on road signs - others use green road signs.
Expressways share most of the characteristics of motorways, differing mainly in that:
- Expressways are designated for lower speed than motorways. For example, the road curvature can be higher and the lanes are usually narrower (3.5 m vs 3.75 m). Emergency lanes can also be narrower (2.5 m vs 3 m) and in exceptional situations expressways might not have them at all.
- Expressways can have a single carriageway on sections with low traffic density.
- Motorways can have interchanges only with main roads and the distance between interchanges is typically not less than 15 km (or 5 km near major cities), while expressways typically have more frequent interchanges. In exceptional situations, expressways might not have dedicated feeder lanes on interchanges.
Formally, expressways are also allowed to admit a one-level junction with a minor public road in exceptional cases,[7] however in 2020 the last such remaining junction in Poland was reconstructed into a two-level interchange.[8][9][10]
Speed limits
| Maximum speed (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle |  Motorway
|
 2-lane expressway
|
1-lane expressway
|
| Private car, motorbike, van up to 3.5 t (does not apply if towing trailer) | 140 | 120 | 100 |
| Bus meeting additional technical requirements | 100 | ||
| Bus; a vehicle over 3.5 t or towing trailer or carrying dangerous materials | 80 | ||
| Vehicle having equipment more than 1.5 m forward of the driver's seat | 60 | ||
|
Motorbike (including towing trailer) carrying a child up to 7 years-old |
40 | ||
| Not allowed on motorways: pedestrians, bikes, mopeds, agricultural vehicles. Minimal speed on motorways is 40 km/h unless there are any extraordinary circumstances (e.g., snow, ice, or a car broken down). It is forbidden to stop except extraordinary situations, or travel backwards. Towing is not allowed on motorways, but is permitted on expressways. | |||
List of motorways and expressways
In 2004, the government published a document defining the planned highway network of length about 7,200 km (4,474 mi).[11] Notable changes introduced in later amendments include re-routing S8 and adding S61 instead (a change related to the Rospuda Valley conflict),[12] introducing S16, S52 and A/S50,[13] as well as extending S5,[14] S8[15] and S10.[16][17][13]
The planned network consists of 16 major highways (over 200 km of intended length): A1, S3, S5, S7, S11, S17, S19, S61 running north to south and A2/S2, A4, S6/A6, S8/A8, S10, S12, S16, S74 running west to east, as well as 9 shorter highways:[a][b] [20][21][22][23][3]
1) Highways and major sections completed | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign | Route | Location | Total length | Existing | Years of construction | ||||||||
|
Gdańsk (S6) - Grudziądz (S5) - Toruń (S10) - Łódź (A2/S8) - Gliwice (A4) -  / (Ostrava)
|
|
566.6 km | 566.6 km | 100% | 2005 – 2022 [c] | |||||||
 
|
Main section:/ (Berlin) - S3 - Poznań (S5/S11) - Łódź (A1/S14) - Warsaw (S7/S8/S17)
|
|
489.7 km[d] | 454.9 km 34.8 km
|
100% | mainly 2001 – 2013 [e] | |||||||
|
Main section: Szczecin (A6) - Gorzów Wlkp. - Jordanowo (A2) - Zielona Góra - Lubin - Legnica (A4) |
|
301.9 km[f] | 301.9 km | 100% | 2008 – 2021 [g] | |||||||
|
/ (Dresden) - Legnica (S3) - Wrocław (A8) - Opole - Gliwice (A1) - Katowice (S1) - Kraków (S7) - Rzeszów (S19) - / (Lviv)
|
|
669 km | 669 km of which 103 km substandard: no hard shoulder |
100% | 1976 – 2016 | |||||||
|
Main section: Grudziądz (A1) - Bydgoszcz (S10) - Poznań (A2/S11) - Wrocław (A8) |
|
340.3 km[h] | 340.3 km | 100% | 2009 – 2022 [i] | |||||||
 
|
Main section: Wrocław (A4) - Łódź (A1) - Piotrków T. - Warsaw (A2/S7) - Ostrów M. (S61) - Białystok (S19) |
|
548.2 km[j] | 525.5 km 22.7 km
|
100% | 2008 – 2019 [k] | |||||||
|
S8 - Pabianice - Zgierz - A2 | Łódź (western bypass) |
40.2 km | 40.2 km of which 0.5 km substandard: an at-grade roundabout |
100% | 2010 – 2023 | |||||||
|
Main section: Warsaw (A2) – Lublin (S12/S19) |
|
150 km[l] | 150 km | 100% | 2010 – 2020 [k] | |||||||
|
/ (Berlin) – Krzyżowa (A4)
|
|
76.5 km | 76.5 km of which 5.6 km substandard: no hard shoulder |
100% | 2004 – 2006 2020 – 2023 [m] | |||||||
|
Elbląg – /Kaliningrad Oblast
|
|
52.2 km | 52.2 km single carriageway |
50% | 2006 – 2008 [n] | |||||||
|
Olsztyn (S16) – Olsztynek (S7) | 
|
20.3 km | 20.3 km | 100% | 2009 – 2019 | |||||||
|
Warsaw – airport – S2 | Warsaw | 4.8 km | 4.8 km | 100% | 2009 – 2013 | |||||||
|
Katowice – Sosnowiec | Upper Silesia | 5.9 km | 5.9 km | 100% | 1978 – 1985 | |||||||
2) Highways in development | |||||||||||||
| Sign | Route | Location | Total length | Existing | In realisation[o] | Of which under active construction | Scheduled year(s) of opening[6] | Tender | In predesign[p] | ||||
|
Pyrzowice (A1) - Mysłowice (A4) - Bielsko-Biała (S52) - Zwardoń - / (Žilina)
|
|
144 km | 72 km + 17 km single carriageway |
55.9% (61.8%) |
4.8 km + 3.7 km single carriageway |
2025 | ||||||
| (+ 44 km) dual carriageway road |
(94.1%) | + 7 km (reconstruction of the 2x2 road to a highway; 1 lane per each direction is open to traffic) |
2024 | ||||||||||
| + 39.5 km (new route) |
+ 27 km (new route) |
2025 | |||||||||||
|
|
Eastern section: Warsaw (S17) – / (Minsk)
|
|
168.2 km | 35.1 km | 20.9% | 100.8 km | 2024, 2025, 2028? | 32.3 km | |||||
|
|
Northern section: Świnoujście – Szczecin (A6) |
|
85.4 km | 50.9 km + 5.4 km 1st carriageway |
62.8% | 29.1 km + 5.4 km 2nd carriageway |
2024 | ||||||
| Southern section: Legnica (A4) – / (Prague)
|
66.8 km | 47.7 km of which 3 km near the Czech border remain closed until connecting D11 is opened |
71.4% | 19.1 km | |||||||||
 
|
Main section:/ (Berlin) - Szczecin[q] - Goleniów (S3) - Koszalin (S11) - Słupsk - Gdańsk (A1)[r]
|
|
402.4 km[s] | 28.1 km 217.2 km + 9.4 km 1st carriageway |
62.2% | 147.7 km + 9.4 km 2nd carriageway |
2024, 2025 | ||||||
|
Gdańsk (A1)[r] - Elbląg (S22) - Olsztynek (S51) - Warsaw (S8) | 
|
approx. 674 km | 276 km | 82.7% |
45 km (reconstruction of the 2x2 road to 2x3 highway; 2+2 lanes are open on the whole length, except for Vistula bridge where 2+1 lanes are available with the middle lane's direction changing based on the times of day) |
2025, 2027, 2032? | 13 km (reconstruction + new route) | |||||
| (+ 58 km) dual carriageway road |
(100%) | ||||||||||||
| Warsaw (S2) - Radom (S12) - Kielce (S74) - Kraków (A4) | 258.1 km |
91.6% | 23.6 km |
2024, 2025 | |||||||||
| Kraków (A4) – Rabka-Zdrój (planned extension to /)
|
31.8 km | 56% | (2030?), 2038?[t] | approx. 25 km (new route) | |||||||||
| (+ 25 km) dual carriageway road |
(100%) | ||||||||||||
|
Eastern section: Lublin (S17/S19) - Chełm - / (Kyiv)
|
|
103.7 km[u] | 29.2 km | 28.2% | 68.8 km | 14 km | 2025, 2027, 2030? |
5.7 km | ||||
 Via Carpatia |
/ (Minsk) - Białystok (S8) - Lublin (S12/S17)
|
|
572.5 km | 18.5 km 1st carriageway |
2.9% | 195.8 km + 18.5 km 2nd carriageway |
87.8 km | 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028? |
34.1 km | 69.4 km | |||
| Lublin (S12/S17) – Rzeszów (A4) | 141.7 km + 16.3 km 1st carriageway with interchanging 2+1 lanes |
94.8% (100%) |
16.3 km 2nd carriageway |
2026 | |||||||||
| Rzeszów (A4) – / (Košice)
|
11.4 km | 11.8% | 73.6 km | 42.6 km | 2025, 2026 tunnels: 2026, 2029? |
11.6 km | |||||||
 part 2 |
Kraków-Balice (A4) – Kraków‑Mistrzejowice (S7) | Kraków (northern bypass) |
18.3 km | 5.8 km | 31.4% | 12.5 km | 2024 | ||||||
 Via Baltica |
Ostrów Mazowiecka (S8) - Łomża - Ełk (S16) - Suwałki - / (Kaunas)
|
|
210.7 km | 197.8 km | 93.9% | 12.9 km | 2024/2025[v] | ||||||
3) Highways partially in development | |||||||||||||
| Sign | Route | Location | Total length | Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Highways_in_Poland||||||||||