The European Union has said that Russia’s war in Ukraine has increased the urgency of making Europe’s transport infrastructure fit for dual civilian and defence use, and it is stepping up funding for projects that support military mobility, Reuters said in a special report.
If the West cannot stop Russia in Ukraine, Poland fears it could become the next target, so it is working hard to improve its infrastructure, Reuters reported.
A EUR 35 billion Polish infrastructure project known as the Solidarity Transport Hub, is a key effort designed to enhance mobility, according to officials.
Marcin Horała, a Polish government official responsible for overseeing the hub’s construction, said that the Solidarity Transport Hub is one of the most important projects under way in central and eastern Europe for military and civilian use.
“When it comes to the ability to absorb troops and air supplies, the Solidarity Hub is a breakthrough,” Horala said.
“It will be a place where large tactical connections, large amounts of ammunition, supplies and logistics can be taken to Poland very quickly," he added.
Ben Hodges, a former commanding general of the US Army in Europe, said: “We do not have enough transport capacity, or infrastructure that enables the rapid movement of NATO forces across Europe."
“What we have learned from Russia's war against Ukraine is, we’ve been reminded actually that war is a test of will, and it’s a test of logistics,” Hodges added, as quoted by Reuters.
Ben Hodges. Photo: PAP/Tomek Murański
The Polish government this month hired two foreign companies, Foster + Partners and Buro Happold, to design the country’s new air hub (CPK) to be built near Warsaw by 2027.
Foster+Partners, a global firm of architects, engineers and urban designers, and Buro Happold, an international engineering consultancy, have committed to designing the mega-airport’s key facilities, including a passenger terminal, a railway station and a public transport interchange, by the middle of 2023 under a contract worth some EUR 150 million, officials said.
The new Polish air hub will be located in the municipality of Baranów, 40 km west of the capital Warsaw, and will integrate air, rail and road transport, according to officials.
The 3,000-hectare mega-airport, with an initial capacity of 40 million passengers a year, is expected to be built by 2027, Polish state news agency PAP has reported.
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Source: forsal.pl, reuters.com