Work to modernise Okrzei Street in Warsaw’s Praga-Północ district is due to start any minute now. The investment, being carried out by the City Roads Authority, is part of a wider programme to transform public spaces into more accessible, green and user-friendly places. The contractor for the works will be the Strabag company, which was selected through a tender. The contract was signed in early July.
The changes are part of the assumptions of the New Warsaw City Centre, which already includes not only the city centre, but also the right-bank part of the city. The start of the metamorphosis of Praga-Północ was prompted by the opening of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge connecting the Vistula River boulevards with the Okrzei Street area. The work will take 17 months and cost just over PLN 20 million.
The reconstruction will cover the section between Wybrzeże Szczecińskie and Jagiellońska Street. When the works are completed, Okrzei Street is to function as a green boulevard with priority for pedestrians and cyclists. Instead of asphalt, there will be a stone surface and new trees will be planted along the street. A two-way cycle route will be created on the north side. There will also be wide pavements and spaces for food gardens. One lane will be maintained for car traffic, while the traffic organisation will remain one-way.
Great emphasis has been placed on the environmental aspect. As part of the project, 74 new trees will be planted along the street and the main green belt will be divided into zones for resting. The project also includes the planting of shrubs and flower beds. There will also be new small architecture. The selection of plants takes urban conditions into account, so hardy species such as small-fruited pear and red maple will grow on Okrzei. The trees will be planted in special anti-compression modules, which were previously used, among others, on the so-called Five Corners Square. The scope of work also includes the upgrading of underground installations – water and sewage networks, power and lighting.
The changes at Okrzei Street are just one of the projects implemented as part of the Communal Revitalisation Programme. There are also plans to redevelop other parts of Old Praga, including Floriańska Street, Weteranów 1863 square and the area between Okrzei and Kłopotowskiego streets. We wrote about these changes HERE.
Source: Warsaw City Hall
Read also: Architecture in Poland | Warsaw | Curiosities | Ecology | Metamorphosis
Okrzei Street now and soon. Photo: ZDM
Cross-section of the street now and in the future. Photo ZDM
