Construction of the second metro line in Warsaw will start in April 2010, not October, as initially planned.

The Mayor of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, announced yesterday that the investment – the cost of which is estimated at 4.117 billion zloty (about 1 billion euro) – will start half a year earlier than planned.

The capital of Poland can expect huge traffic jams starting from April 2010 with the beginning of the construction of the second metro line. In 2011, a six-kilometre passage leading from Wilenski train station to Daszynski roundabout will be tunneled, which will result in closing several streets. Construction of 7 underground stations and 12 tunnels will be conducted simultaneously.

The East-West line of the Warsaw Metro was meant to be ready for the European Football Championships in 2012. The central section, including Rondo ONZ, Nowy Swiat and Stadion stations, is, however, expected to be finished at the turn of 2013. The line will be built by Italian-Turkish consortium Astaldi Gulermak. (mg/mmj)