NDI changes the railway for the better

Almost one year before the scheduled date, the reconstruction of the railway leading to the DCT container terminal will be completed. The investment in the Port of Gdańsk is carried out by NDI based in Sopot.

Work began in July last year and, in addition to the reconstruction of the tracks, also includes the expansion of the road system at the Outer Port.

Thanks to the commitment and coordination of all industries working on the construction site at the Port of Gdańsk, the first stage will be introduced in the first week of June. Rail traffic will be redirected from the existing track 708 to the newly built Track 702 leading to the GASPOL freight terminal.

‘The implementation of the first stage will enable the construction of a parallel track 901 and track 708 leading directly to the DCT terminal,’ says Wojciech Czyżewski, Deputy Project Director at NDI. ‘The transfer of rail traffic is planned for mid-August 2019 and is crucial for the entire investment not only because of the railway leading to DCT, but also the option of liquidation of the current track running along Kontenerowa St., which is in clash with the designed second roadway.’

As a part of the project to expand the road and rail system at the Outer Port carried out by NDI for Port of Gdańsk S.A., the following streets are being reconstructed: Portowa, Poinca, Kontenerowa and Budowniczych Portu Północnego, with a total length of 5.6 km. Four new flyovers are under construction and two existing ones will be demolished (including one over active railway tracks and the other over a set of fuel supply pipes of PERN, LOTOS and Naftoport). An additional track to the DCT terminal, new tracks to coal terminals, and a modern rail traffic control system are planned. A buffer car park for heavy goods vehicles will also be built – the first one in this part of the Port.

The new road and rail system with a length of 9.4 km (including 16 new turnouts) is also to provide facilities for the future Central Port, thanks to which the transhipment at the Port of Gdańsk may reach 100 million tonnes per year.

The value of the contract, including the reconstruction of the road and rail system, is almost PLN 176 million. The project will be implemented by the end of 2020.

‘The challenge for us was also to plan the method and organisation of work in such a way that it would not affect the functioning of companies operating on the investment site. Let us also remember that the so-called heavy transport serving the tenants of lands in the Port passes through the construction site,’ says Jacek Szymański, Project Director at NDI. ‘Completion of the reconstruction of tracks is the result of efficient, substantive, quick problem solving by the Team of the Investor, ZMPG, Sweco Engineer and Author’s Supervision by Multiconsult.’

 During the first 10 months, the following works have been carried out: soil reinforcement, earthworks, demolition of old and construction of new engineering structures, reconstruction of clashing utilities and construction of new utilities networks, construction of track and road structure that will allow for modern functioning of the road and rail system at the Outer Port.

Looking at the percentage progress, the ground in the investment area has already been strengthened in 83%, and earthworks have been completed in 67%

In 3 of the 4 new road flyovers, load-bearing slabs have already been concreted and currently abutments are being filled there and finishing works are being carried out

Progress in track construction amounts to over 70%. Therefore, NDI is about 1.5 months ahead of the assumed work schedule. The tracks of lines 702, 704, 706 running to the Gas Terminal will soon be put into service and the trains will be operating on the new infrastructure, so that the next stage of works on the tracks can be started.

 In the coming months, NDI plans to continue works related to surface construction, paving and bituminous works in Sucharskiego, Budowniczych Portu Północnego, Poinca and Portowa and Nowa Portowa Streets with the passage through the WD2 and WD3 flyovers. The tracks to the DCT Terminal will also be constructed.