Slovakia has the second longest state border with Poland (541 km). It is formed almost along the entire length of the Carpathian mountain range, including the Beskids and the Tatra Mountains, which constitute a natural barrier hindering the development of transport infrastructure. Despite steady progress on these issues, there are still numerous restrictions on vehicle movement across the border.
Discussing road connections in mutual relations, Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak confirmed that the tasks of harmonizing cross-border road investments are still the most important. This applies primarily to the following road routes: S1-D3 in the “Baltic – Adriatic Sea” transport corridor and S19-R4 in the “Baltic – Black Sea – Aegean Sea” transport corridor.
– One of the most important topics of our talks was the continuation of the construction of the road, which on the Polish side is called S1. I received a declaration from my Slovak counterpart that a tender for the third and last section of the D3 road will be announced there this year. Our S1, the construction of which will be completed in 2026, will continue on the Slovak side in 2029. An extremely important road from the point of view of Poland and Slovakia is also the S19 road and its continuation on the Slovak side, up to Kosice – R4. I obtained a declaration that the construction of the road on the Slovak side is also included in the government's priorities, said Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak.
While discussing rail transport issues, the ministers analyzed the possibilities and plans to improve connections on the Czechowice Dziedzice – Zwardoń route, thanks to which rail transport would effectively stimulate the economic development of the Polish-Slovak border, as well as the possibilities of the route running through Muszyna – Plaveč, connecting Kraków and Rzeszów with Prešov and Kosice. . The ministers agreed that it is advisable to develop a common, new system of railway connections after carrying out appropriate investments on both sides, which will improve the quality of these connections and their competitiveness compared to road transport.
– When talking about investments in railway connections, we talked about three corridors, but one of them is particularly important here. We have a large project worth PLN 3.5 billion, financed from the KPO, between Krakow and Nowy Sącz. It is also very important from a communication point of view for the Slovak side. We also agreed with my counterparts that it is time to make up for lost time and eliminate the disproportion in rail and road transport between our countries. We also agreed that we would jointly seek European funds to finance railway projects under the new financial framework. I also welcomed with satisfaction the interest of the Slovak side in the construction of CPK and HSR in Poland, which investments will change the transport architecture in Central Europe – said Minister Dariusz Klimczak.
The minister also noted that the issue of the effectiveness of transport financing after 2027 will be one of the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the coming year.
