The Świną Tunnel in Świnoujście stands as a landmark investment in Poland, expected to elevate daily life for residents and visitors alike. A message read aloud at the opening ceremony from President Andrzej Duda underscored the project’s importance for the city, delivered by Paweł Szrot, head of the President’s Office. The note positioned the tunnel beneath Świna as the single most significant modernization since the city’s founding, signaling a turning point in regional development.
For decades, Świnoujście lacked a permanent road link to the rest of Poland, a situation the president called historic and now resolved. He also drew attention to the nearby LNG terminal at Świnoujście, a strategic facility for the country, and recalled Lech Kaczyński’s conviction that Poland ends not in Świnoujście but begins there, stressing the city’s role as a gateway to national progress.
The president noted that investments on this scale can spur growth in smaller towns as well. The tunnel opening was presented as a concrete example of progress and a signal of policy shifts toward ambitious goals and unified development across the nation. Large-scale projects in roads, rail, air, energy, and industry are seen as real drivers for regional benefits and the broader economy. They also shape how citizens envision the country’s future. Duda expressed confidence that the modern, technically advanced project would improve the quality of life for residents and visitors for many years to come.
He emphasized that the ongoing positive changes set a higher standard for public service and civic responsibility, urging future public officials to strive for these expectations. Looking ahead, he spoke of new pathways for development, new opportunities, and the belief that Poland can seize them through collective effort. Citizens were urged to stay committed to turning opportunities into realized dreams and shared prosperity.
“We went to Poland with Świnoujście”
At the opening ceremony, Świnoujście’s mayor, Janusz Żmurkiewicz, celebrated the moment the tunnel under Świna connected the Uznam and Wolin islands, bringing Świnoujście permanently into the Polish road network. He called June 30, 2023, a historic day when the two islands gained solid ties to the mainland, echoing earlier remarks by Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński that the tunnel was a fundamental national objective. Source: City leadership and national government records.
The mayor recalled the July 2007 visit by Prime Minister Kaczyński and Minister Joachim Brudziński to Świnoujście, during which the PM expressed a commitment to integrating the city into Poland’s broader transport network. A documentary of Kaczyński’s visit and a video of his tunnel announcement were shown at the ceremony. Żmurkiewicz noted Świnoujście’s geographic position—on Poland’s northwest edge and as the Polish segment of Uznam—has long constrained connectivity, a situation now changed by the new crossing. He highlighted that the crossing will shorten journeys, replacing ferries with a quick tunnel ride that lasts only minutes. Source: City records and ceremony program.
Local government and delivery
Infrastructure Minister Andrzej Adamczyk credited the city’s persistent local leadership with delivering the tunnel. He described the event as the moment when dreams become a tangible, safe, long-awaited reality for Świnoujście and the surrounding region. He pointed to productive collaboration between local authorities and the national administration, despite political differences, as a key factor in achieving positive results. The project unites Uznam and Wolin with a new, efficient connection that previously relied on ferries and caused delays and queues. The tunnel spans roughly 1.5 kilometers, enabling traffic to pass in about two minutes with a 50 km/h speed limit and section enforcement to ensure safety. Source: Ministry statements and project briefings.
Funding came from the city of Świnoujście and Szczecin’s branch of the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA), while the contractor was a PORR/Gülermak consortium. Total costs exceeded 900 million PLN, with nearly 775.7 million PLN sourced from EU funds. The city contributed the remainder from its own budget, underscoring a strong local commitment to national infrastructure goals. Source: project budget announcements.
In closing, the ceremony underlined the broader significance of the Świna tunnel for regional development, tourism, and everyday life. It marks a milestone in Poland’s transport strategy, tying islands and mainland together with a faster, safer, and more reliable connection. Source: ceremony closing remarks.