The port in Elbląg will undergo significant expansion, the largest in recent decades. The city has chosen the concept of a new terminal on Żytnia Street and has announced the modernisation of the existing infrastructure. The entire project is to be completed by October 2029. The cost of the port section is estimated at approximately PLN 100 million, and another PLN 100 million will be spent on rebuilding the road system leading to the terminals. The investment was co-financed by European Funds for Warmia and Mazury.
The competition for the port in Elbląg has been decided, now it’s time for the documentation
The results of the competition were announced during a press conference in Kamieniczki Elbląskie. The winner was a consortium of Warsaw-based companies WSP Polska and WXCA GROUP, which proposed a concept called “Gateway to the Baltic Sea”. The jury emphasised the high standard of the entries and the fierce competition. The authors of the selected design will receive a financial award and an invitation to prepare full design and cost estimate documentation. Before work can begin, the city must prepare detailed designs, conduct tenders and select contractors. The provincial government has already passed resolutions enabling the signing of preliminary agreements on the financing of the port and road sections.
New terminal in Elbląg and expansion of the existing one
The winning concept involves expanding the terminal on Radomska Street by approximately half a hectare and constructing a new facility on Żytnia Street on an area of approximately 30 hectares. The new investment has been divided into three stages. The first will cover an area of approximately 17 hectares, of which 10 hectares will be occupied by storage yards and the remainder by transport infrastructure. This stage will include the construction of a quay, administrative buildings, a railway siding and truck parking lots. The concept also includes the possibility of building a port basin. According to the city authorities, road works are to begin later this year, and work on the terminals in 2027.
Water, rail and road transport in one place
The new quay will enable the simultaneous mooring of four ships up to 100 metres long, 20 metres wide and with a draught of up to 4.5 metres. A railway siding will run along the entire mooring line, allowing for direct transhipment between the ship and the wagon. Next to it, there will be a service road for mobile cranes and wheeled transport. The designers have proposed a layout based on a modular organisation of the entire port space. The storage areas will be convertible depending on market needs. In addition to general and bulk cargo, space is also planned for oversized cargo, used, among others, in the energy, metal and offshore industries, as well as in large infrastructure investments. According to estimates, after the expansion, the port will be able to tranship approximately 2-3 million tonnes of cargo annually.
PLN 200 million in EU support
The investment is possible thanks to an agreement with the European Commission. Approximately PLN 200 million from European Funds for Warmia and Mazury will be allocated to the development of the port and access infrastructure. The city authorities emphasise that this is the largest economic project in Elbląg in several decades. The reconstruction of the road system will include, among other things, the construction of roundabouts in the area of Radomska Street and Trasa Unii Europejskiej, as well as the modernisation of Mazurska Street. The local government assumes that the development of the port will relieve Gdańsk in servicing smaller vessels and strengthen the importance of the Elbląg subregion in servicing maritime and inland transport. This fact is all the more welcome as the city has a very rich history related to water transport, so it is returning to its roots.
The port of Elbląg with centuries of tradition
Elbląg is one of the oldest port centres on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. The city was founded in 1237 by the Teutonic Knights at the mouth of the Elbląg River to the Vistula Lagoon. In the Middle Ages, it had direct access to the open waters of the bay, which facilitated intensive trade with Hanseatic cities such as Lübeck and Bruges. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the port experienced its greatest boom. Grain, wood and amber were exported, while cloth, salt and handicrafts were imported. Shipbuilding also developed, placing Elbląg at the forefront of the wealthiest cities in the region at that time.
Zygmunt August Boulevard around 1930 and today. Photo: Public domain and Google Maps
Elbląg in 1944 and 2025. The loss of buildings is clearly visible. Source: National Collection of Aerial Photography and Google Maps
After being incorporated into Royal Prussia in 1454, Elbląg retained its economic importance, but over time it gave way to the growing position of Gdańsk. In the 19th century, already within the borders of Prussia, the next stage of development of the local urban industry took place. Among other things, Ferdinand Schichau’s shipyard was established, producing ships and locomotives. World War II brought about the destruction of the overwhelming majority of the beautiful city and its port infrastructure. After 1945, Elbląg’s access to the open sea was limited by the new geopolitical situation in the Vistula Lagoon area. This significantly weakened its port functions. However, the opening of the canal through the Vistula Spit in 2022 gave it another opportunity to access the Baltic Sea directly, without having to enter Russian waters.
Source: Elbląg City Hall, radiogdansk.pl
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