On 17 August, trams returned to Kraków’s Kazimierz district at the intersection of Dietla and Krakowska streets, running across the Józef Piłsudski Bridge.
During the construction works, the defensive wall of a settlement that stood on the Vistula before the town of Kazimierz was founded was discovered, as well as the stone-built Clay Gate (Brama Gliniana), also known as the Kraków Gate, which was one of the gates of the town of Kazimierz, and an abutment of the Royal Bridge and, later, a further part of it.
As part of the task Trakcja carried out:
reconstruction of 3 km of single track – entirely with a ballastless track structure,
reconstruction of the turnout junction – the so-called ¾ star (6 turnouts and a diamond crossing at the intersection of Krakowska – Dietla – Stradomska streets),
installation of a switch control and heating system, and drainage of the road and track bed,
reinstatement of the existing geometry of the tracks and turnout junction while maintaining the existing connections,
construction of the track bed in Krakowska Street from prefabricated track slabs with a diamond texture, and raised Vienna-type stop platforms,
widening of pavements on Krakowska Street – moving car traffic onto the track bed,
replacement of approx. 3.5 km of overhead contact line, installed on new stylised traction poles,
modernisation of the Piłsudski Bridge linking Kazimierz with Podgórze, including: replacement of bearings, replacement of part of the steel structure elements and most of the rivets, sandblasting, painting, installation of illumination;,
reconstruction of all underground infrastructure (utility network, sewerage, gas and power networks),
protection and reconstruction of power and telecommunications networks, power supply for ticket machines, and small architecture.
The project in figures:
94.6 million total value of the task in PLN,
3 km length of track to be replaced or rebuilt,
25,000 tonnes mass of aggregate used,
290 tonnes mass of new rails,
10,500 m2 area of vibration-isolation mats,
5,200 m2 area of porphyry slabs,
3,200 m3 volume of concrete required,
147.5 m length of the bridge being modernised,
100,000 pcs number of rivet holes in the bridge’s metal structure,
26,000 pcs bolts,
5 km protective conduits,
500 tonnes abrasive (cleaning of the bridge’s steel structure)
80 tonnes steel (replacement of corroded bridge elements)
10 tonnes paint needed to paint the bridge.
100 tonnes scaffolding for the bridge works
8 tonnes resins for the pavements
1.5 tonnes sealing material
The cost of the entire investment came to nearly PLN 95 million.
