The construction of a section of Poland’s S19 expressway, part of the Via Carpatia route, has been abruptly halted after a PLN 1 billion contract was terminated. This section, stretching between Domaradz and Krosno in the Podkarpackie region, was initially set to be completed by June 2026. However, as of spring 2026, only about 5 percent of the work had been finished, prompting the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) to take decisive action.
Mostostal Warszawa, the contractor originally engaged for this project in November 2022, withdrew from the contract in April 2026. The company cited significant delays on the part of the road authority in fulfilling contractual obligations and highlighted unresolved project issues. Mostostal pointed to unexpected ground conditions that inflated costs by PLN 150 million, with additional changes mandated by environmental authorities potentially adding another PLN 400 million to the overall expenses. Despite these claims, GDDKiA refuted the contractor’s reasoning, attributing the lack of progress to Mostostal and subsequently terminated the contract in May.
Following the contract termination, GDDKiA initiated steps to secure the construction site and evaluate the completed work. This inventory process has now concluded, and the road authority is preparing to issue a new tender for the remaining construction of the Domaradz–Krosno section. The tender is anticipated to be announced around late August or early September, with the expectation that the new contractor will finish the work within 26 to 28 months without increasing the initial budget.
Delays are not isolated to this section alone; other parts of the Via Carpatia in the Podkarpackie region are also experiencing setbacks. The Babice–Jawornik section’s completion has been rescheduled to October 2027, while the section from Rzeszów Południe to Babice, which includes a significant tunnel over 2.2 kilometers long, is now projected for completion in January 2028. These delays pose additional challenges to the development of Via Carpatia, a key transport corridor aimed at enhancing connectivity between southeastern Poland and the broader European road network.