GB No. 4(19)/95
A part of the Kraków ring road, the so-called Opatkowice junction, has been ready for several months. But it has certain "minor" defects. One of them is the lack of noise screens for which the officials responsible for environment had been appealing. I wrote about it in the Zielone Brygady, Oct. 1995, in the article "Without stopgaps". Here comes the next chapter.
- I cannot approve any stopgap measures. I want the road to be built in accordance with the law1 - this is what voivodship inspector for environment protection Pawe3 Turzanski declared in September. However, there were many others, who appealed for a "reasonable compromise", which meant opening the motorway not having completed all the required screens.
- Officials block opening of the ring road2 - claimed Town President Józef Lassota, forgetting that he was an official himself.
- I am certain that after putting the motorway to use the noise level will not increase3 - assured Vice-President Jan Friedberg.
- Lack of the noise screens should not be such a serious problem. Especially that initially the traffic will not be that heavy4 - it was an expert's forecast by Jerzy Bajer, the Director of the Local Public Roads.
The Green from Kraków, quite numerous in our town, were all asleep. At least I could not notice any significant support for the environment protection inspector who objected the stopgap solution.
In those circumstances, on 23 October, the Voivodship Department for Environmental Protection backed off and gave its consent to opening the road without any of the necessary screens. Four days later first cars entered the motorway. The lacking screens are to be completed till 31 December 199...6.
I think that ... that all the above-mentioned people, Lassota, Friedberg and Bajer should settle in the vicinity of the motorway until the noise screens are completed. It could be quite instructive for them. They could live in a small wagon that could be moved from place to place, wherever the screens are still lacking. Till all the works are finished.
Stanisław Zubek
reprinted from Zielone Brygady, 12/95
translated by M. Maciejewska