The tender for the development of the Świdnickie passage and its surroundings in the Kazimierza Wielkiego street area is under way. There will be many changes, and pedestrians and passengers of city transport service will benefit most from them. For drivers, nothing will change.
We will also walk through the underground passage, which is narrower now.
We have seen the document that shows the intended traffic management system after the reconstruction of the Świdnickie passage. The most important changes are such that it will be possible for pedestrians to cross the street both above and underneath it. Although the tunnel passage will be narrower and will have a slightly different layout (a large part of it will be occupied by a mall), it will also be adapted to the needs of the disabled. It will be possible to descend into the underground passage by lift. "If you can't wait for the red light, you can always go through the tunnel", says Elwira Nowak, Deputy Director of the City Engineering Department. Above it, there will be an extensive pedestrian crossing that will ensure smooth traffic. “Lanes” situated closer to ul. Widok will also be extended. Apart from that, there will be wider islands for passengers, who can wait safely there between passing trams. 
Bus/tram stops at the intersection of Świdnicka and Kazimierza Wielkiego streets will also look different. Double stops will be created to ensure more smooth traffic and prevent tram jams on the trackway at ul. Kazimierza Wielkiego. This main pedestrian crossing, which connects both sides of ul. Świdnicka, will be situated exactly between points where trams stop. There will also be small new elements for cyclists. Over the Świdnicka/Kazimierza Wielkiego intersection, a glass fibre installation will also be placed.
What about drivers?
The document also shows that the rebuilding of the area of the intersection with ul. Świdnicka will not change the situation of drivers in any way. There will still be three lanes on the northern and southern carriageway, and horizontal road signs will not change, either. The only exception is the liquidation of the bus stop bay on the level of the Barbara Bar. This, however, will have a minimum impact on car traffic. Instead of the bay, the K line bus will stop at the place designated on the roadway. Drivers should not actually be affected by this, because K is the only daily bus that stops there. "Time lengths of traffic light cycles will also remain basically the same, and all current traffic lanes will be retained", says Elwira Nowak.
Only on one lane at Kazimierza Wielkiego?
In tender documents, there is also a conception according to which the northern carriageway of ul. Kazimierza Wielkiego will be excluded from traffic, and cars will travel in both directions only on the southern carriageway. Does that mean that cars will soon disappear from one part of the W-Z route? "No. It is only a document for city planners. They could not plan the reconstruction of the Świdnickie passage without taking long-term planning objectives into account", says the Deputy Director of the City Engineering Department. "It’s no secret that such plans exist, but their implementation will be affected by many factors, including social approval, so the time frame for these activities is indefinite at the moment", adds Elwira Nowak. 
(photo: Google Maps)This information was included in tender documents, because it had to be taken into account by architects planning the reconstruction of the passage. The contractor for the first stage of works at ul. Kazimierza Wielkiego, i.e., the reconstruction of the Świdnickie passage and its surroundings, should be known by summer. All works would be completed by 2016. Janusz Krzeszowski
