On the occasion of opening the passage, the Świdnicka tram stop has been reopened again – now it is a double stop.
The reconstructed Świdnicka Passage arouses various feelings among pedestrians. Some of them, especially older ones, praise the new stairs. ‘Look, now it's finally better to walk there. It’s comfortable,’ commented old women living in the neighbourhood. ‘It’s neat and clean,’ said a pair of middle-aged spouses. Others preferred to take the upper way. Some other pedestrians complained that it was too dark in the corridor. Many persons were curious what would be set up in the place behind the glass panes. A museum or a gallery?
Originally, there was a plan to create an art gallery in the part of the passage separated with glass panes and running along the corridor, but a bookshop will ultimately be established there.
Benefits for pedestrians
The reconstruction of the Świdnicka Passage has brought many benefits to pedestrians: first of all, they can go across the ul. Świdnicka street in two ways: through the corridor or the pedestrian crossing over it. This will make it easier to move for disabled persons or for parents with prams. A classic pedestrian crossing with traffic lights with a width of 10 m was already made some time ago. Apart from that, pedestrian islands havebeen broadened so that pedestrians could wait safely between trams in motion.
Importantly, the reconstruction did not make things worse for drivers. They still have three lanes at their disposal on the northern carriageway and the southern carriageway.
A touch of history
The overpass through ul. Kazimierza Wielkiego was demolished in 1975 during the construction of a fast motorway through the city centre. The W-Z route has often been criticised, because it divides the Old Town and makes it difficult for pedestrians to move. All works around the Świdnicka Passage are performed in accordance with the Mobility Policy adopted in 2013, which gives pedestrians the priority right to move on the street level. The reconstruction of the Świdnicka Passage is another step towards the stimulation of traffic at ul. Świdnicka.
photos: Eliza Głowicka
