Investment that changed Wroclaw [PHOTOS]

The article features photographs of ul Kazimierza Wielkiega that are dating back to the 1970s and were taken by two Wroclaw-based photographers: Stanisław Kokurewicz and Zbigniew Nowak. They are part of a larger photography collection held at the "Remembrance and Future" Centre. The photographs represent the construction of the East-West route, including the opening of the renovated Plac Dzierżyńskiego and a jazz show on the construction site of the Świdnickie Underpass.

(click to see the gallery) In the press conference on 18 December 1973, the then Mayor of Wroclaw Marian Czuliński (the same person who "went down in history" with his decision to blow up medieval Saint Clara's Mills) announced the beginning of the project to develop a "little ring road", or what is now called the East-West route. For more photographs, join us on Facebook: Unforgettable Wroclaw "The discussion on how to redevelop the transportation grid of the Old Town ha continued for years. The need to take traffic away from Rynek became more burning than ever at the beginning of the 1970s. This brought about the controversial decision to dissect the Old Town's urban fabric with a multi-lane road," says Piotr Sroka, PhD, from the Documentation Section of the Remembrance and Future Centre. The first section of the ring road was designed to connect ul Ruska with the then Plac Dzierżyńskiego (todays's part of Plac Dominikański). Initially, the design provided for one lane leading from West to East (the lane leading in the opposite direction was to be developed later). The plan aimed at taking the strain off Rynek's southern section, which, as was calculated by transportation specialists, during peak times was used by 1,440 passenger vehicles and 46 trams per hour. "The construction of this particular section of the ring road," wrote Wroclaw's evening newspapers, "will be an enterprise that is unprecedented in the history of Wroclaw to date." (click to see the gallery) "The work proceeded at a staggering pace. On 22 July 1974, which marked the 30th anniversary of the PKWN Manifesto, the official opening of the first completed 1.3-km-long section of the ring road was held. One of its most important features was an underpass that allowed a safe passage under ul Kazmierza Wielkiego for pedestrians using ul Świdnicka," says Piotr Sroka, PhD, and he goes on to add that in 1974 ul Kazimierza Wielkiego stretched only between ul Krupnicza and ul Świdnicka. Only after the route was completed, ul Kazimierza Wielkiego was extended, thus obliterating such historic streets as ul Słodowa, Zaułek Pokutniczy, Zaułek Ruski, Zaułek Siedmiu Kół or ul Złote Koło. While informing about the first success, the press announced that the eastern section of the road would have been completed already in 1975. "The plan was very ambitious," says Piotr Sroka, PhD. "It required a complete reconstruction of the then Plac Dzierżyńskiego to create a grade-separated intersection. The investment was severely delayed, especially due to the lack of necessary materials. The opening of the reconstructed Plac Dzierżyńskiego was held as late as 7 May 1978. The northern lane leading to ul Ruska was also completed at the time, whereas the entire project came to its successful conclusion as late as in the 1980s. Route today ">