Strabag Wins PLN 261 Million Contract to Widen a 22km Stretch of Poland's A2 Motorway

Standfirst

Poland's national roads authority has awarded Strabag Sp. z o.o. a PLN 261 288 584.84 contract to widen a roughly 22 kilometre section of the A2 motorway between Łódź and the Mazowieckie border from two lanes to three in each direction. Six contractors competed for the work, evaluated on an 80 percent price and 20 percent recycled asphalt use basis.

Introduction

The A2 motorway is one of Poland's principal east-west arteries, part of the European route linking Berlin to Warsaw and beyond. A stretch of it running through Łódzkie voivodeship is about to get considerably wider, as the national roads authority moves forward with a long planned project to add a third lane in each direction along a corridor already carrying heavy traffic.

Strabag Sp. z o.o., the Polish arm of one of Europe's largest construction groups, has won the contract to build this specific section, known as Section B, running roughly 22 kilometres between the Łódź Północ junction area and the border with Mazowieckie voivodeship. Six companies competed for the work.

Why This Contract Matters

Widening a motorway from two lanes to three per direction is a substantial capacity upgrade, directly addressing congestion on one of Poland's busiest long distance road corridors. The project's technical approach, widening each carriageway by 3 metres on the inner side using the motorway's existing wide central median, is a relatively efficient way to add capacity without needing to acquire significant new land along the route.

The contract also carries a notable environmental dimension: bidders were scored specifically on their planned use of reclaimed asphalt pavement, recycled material from old road surfaces, incorporated using "hot recycling" technology into new wearing, binder and base courses. That criterion rewards contractors who can demonstrate genuine sustainable materials practice, not just price competitiveness.

Contract Timeline

• Original tender notice referenced by this procedure: 780620-2025
• Contract concluded: 21 August 2026
• Notice dispatched to the Publications Office: 24 August 2026
• Published in the Official Journal, OJ S 163/2026: 25 August 2026
• Completion time: 13 months from the start date if no options are exercised, extending to 14 or 17 months depending on which options are activated

Contract Overview

GDDKiA's Łódź branch ran an open procedure, using Poland's reversed procedure evaluation method, for reconstruction and widening of the A2 motorway's Section B, from kilometre marker 389+678 to 411+466. Six tenders were received, all submitted electronically and Strabag Sp. z o.o. was awarded the contract, ranked first, with a winning bid of PLN 261 288 584.84, matching the notice's total awarded value exactly.

The contract includes two optional scope elements the buyer may activate: traffic organisation adjustments at 15 named intersections and junctions across a wider surrounding area and implementation and maintenance of a temporary traffic diversion scheme during construction, with a minimum 24-month maintenance obligation for the temporary signage involved.

Key Contract Details

Project Scope

The core works widen each carriageway of the A2 motorway by 3 metres on the inner side along Section B, using the motorway's existing wide central median, changing the road's cross-section from two lanes in each direction to a target of three. The section runs through Łódzkie voivodeship, spanning the Łowicki and Skierniewicki counties, across the municipalities of Łyszkowice, Nieborów and Bolimów.

Two option rights sit alongside the core widening works. Option 2 covers traffic organisation adjustments at 15 named intersections and junctions spread across a considerably wider area than the immediate construction section, including crossings in Brzeziny, Łowicz, Sochaczew and Błonie, plus the Warszawa Zachód, Opacz, Mszczonów Północ and Wiskitki motorway junctions, suggesting coordinated traffic management across the broader corridor affected by the wider A2 widening programme. Option 1 covers implementing and maintaining a temporary traffic diversion scheme during construction, following a specific detour strategy document, with the contractor required to maintain the temporary signage for at least 24 months, with additional compensation available if that period is extended.

A distinctive technical requirement applies to bidders proposing to use "hot recycling" technology for reclaimed asphalt pavement in the wearing course, binder course and base layers: they must submit evidence confirming they will use an asphalt mixing plant equipped with hot recycling capability and a parallel drum for dosing asphalt granulate, specifying its location, capacity and type.

About the Contracting Authority

Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad is a central government authority active in general public services, procuring through its Łódź branch office. GDDKiA is Poland's national roads authority, responsible for planning, constructing and maintaining the country's national road and motorway network, including the ongoing capacity expansion of the A2 corridor.

About the Organisations Involved

Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad

As covered above, GDDKiA's Łódź branch is the buyer for this contract and the authority also serves, alongside the National Appeals Chamber, as the review body for procurement disputes.

Krajowa Izba Odwoławcza

Poland's National Appeals Chamber is named alongside GDDKiA in the review process for this contract, with detailed statutory appeal deadlines ranging from 10 to 30 days depending on the specific circumstances and a further route to the Warsaw Regional Court and ultimately the Supreme Court for cassation appeals.

Strabag Sp. z o.o.

Strabag Sp. z o.o., based in Pruszków near Warsaw and classified as a large enterprise, is the winning contractor. Strabag is part of one of Europe's largest construction groups, headquartered in Austria, with an extensive track record delivering major road, rail and civil engineering projects across Central and Eastern Europe, including substantial prior experience on Poland's national motorway network.

Procurement Analysis

GDDKiA ran an open procedure using Poland's reversed procedure method, under which tenders are evaluated before the winning bidder's qualification documents are formally checked, a standard efficiency mechanism in Polish public works procurement. Award criteria weighted price heavily at 80 percent, with the remaining 20 percent tied specifically to reclaimed asphalt material use, a criterion that rewards genuine environmental practice in road resurfacing rather than defaulting purely to lowest cost.

Six tenders competed for the contract, none from SMEs and none from outside Poland, reflecting the scale and capital intensity of a project this size, which realistically only large, well capitalised national and international contractors can credibly bid for. Strabag's winning bid was ranked first among the six, though the notice does not disclose the values of the competing bids, so the margin of victory cannot be assessed from this notice alone.

The contract's variable completion timeline, ranging from 13 to 17 months depending on which options GDDKiA ultimately exercises, gives the authority flexibility to scope the project's full extent, including the wider traffic coordination work at 15 separate intersections, without committing to that scope upfront.

Additional Procurement Facts

• The tender's exclusion grounds explicitly reference Article 5k of EU Council Regulation 833/2014, the Russia sanctions regime.
• Eligibility was restricted to bidders based in the EU, a GPA signatory state, or a state with a relevant bilateral or regional agreement with the EU on public procurement.
• GDDKiA may offer an advance payment of between 1 and 10 percent of the gross contract value, subject to the contractor providing corresponding security.
• The contracting authority did not conduct preliminary market consultations ahead of this tender.
• GDDKiA maintains an internal whistleblower reporting procedure under Poland's 2024 law on whistleblower protection, referenced in the tender's general information.

Market and Industry Perspective

Major Polish motorway capacity expansion work of this kind continues to draw a concentrated field of large national and international contractors, reflected in the six bidder, all-large-enterprise field here. Strabag's win reinforces its established position within Poland's road construction market, competing alongside other major players active in the country's ongoing national road investment programme.

Economic Significance

At PLN 261 288 584.84 for roughly 22 kilometres of motorway widening, this is a substantial single contract within Poland's broader, multi-billion złoty national road investment programme, reflecting continued government commitment to expanding capacity on key freight and passenger corridors like the A2.

Future Procurement Opportunities

The broader A2 widening project between the Łódź Północ junction and the Łódzkie-Mazowieckie border extends beyond this single Section B contract, meaning further sections of the same overall widening programme are likely to be tendered separately, offering additional opportunities for contractors active in this market.

Opportunities for Suppliers

Large scale civil engineering and road construction contractors should note GDDKiA's continued investment in the A2 corridor as a signal of further upcoming tenders along the same route. Suppliers of asphalt recycling technology and reclaimed pavement material may also find growing demand given this contract's explicit scoring incentive for hot recycling technology adoption.

What Businesses Should Watch

• Further sections of the broader A2 Łódź Północ to Mazowieckie border widening project as they come to tender.
• Whether GDDKiA exercises Option 1, Option 2, or both, affecting the project's final completion timeline and scope.
• Broader GDDKiA national road investment activity across other corridors as Poland continues expanding motorway capacity.

PolandTenders.com Procurement Intelligence

This contract illustrates how Poland continues to expand its national motorway network's capacity through targeted widening projects rather than solely new build construction, a generally more land and cost efficient approach where existing medians and rights of way can be reused. The explicit scoring credit for reclaimed asphalt material use also reflects a broader shift in European road construction toward rewarding demonstrable sustainability practice within otherwise price dominated evaluation frameworks.

For contractors competing in this market, the six bidder field, entirely composed of large enterprises with no SME or international participation, confirms that motorway widening work at this scale remains realistically accessible only to well capitalised firms with substantial prior road construction experience in Poland. Firms considering entry into this market should expect to compete against an established roster of major national and international contractors rather than a broad, open field.

Looking ahead, the wider A2 widening programme this section belongs to suggests further contract opportunities will follow along the same corridor, giving contractors positioned here a reasonable basis to plan for continued work in the same geographic area over the coming years.

Supplier Takeaways

• This contract was decided 80 percent on price and 20 percent on reclaimed asphalt material use, rewarding genuine environmental practice alongside cost competitiveness.
• All six competing bidders were large enterprises, confirming this category of work remains concentrated among well capitalised contractors.
• The project's completion timeline varies from 13 to 17 months depending on which of two option rights the buyer exercises.
• A specific technical evidence requirement applies to bidders proposing hot recycling asphalt technology, a detail worth preparing for in similar future Polish road tenders.
• This section is part of a larger A2 widening programme, suggesting further related tenders are likely to follow along the same corridor.

Key Takeaways

• GDDKiA awarded Strabag Sp. z o.o. a PLN 261 288 584.84 contract to widen roughly 22 kilometres of the A2 motorway in Łódzkie voivodeship.
• Six tenders competed, all from large Polish based enterprises, none from SMEs or international bidders.
• Award criteria weighted price at 80 percent and reclaimed asphalt material use at 20 percent.
• The project includes two optional scope elements affecting traffic management at 15 intersections and temporary traffic diversion during construction.
• Completion is scheduled for 13 to 17 months depending on which options are exercised.
• The contract is not covered by a framework agreement and requires a 10 percent performance security.

Conclusion

Adding a third lane to 22 kilometres of one of Poland's busiest motorways is the kind of infrastructure work that rarely makes headlines but directly shapes how efficiently people and freight move across the country. Strabag now carries that responsibility for Section B of the A2, in a contract that rewards recycled materials alongside competitive pricing and that likely marks just one stretch in a longer, ongoing programme to widen this key European transport corridor.

Source: Tenders Electronic Daily (TED), Contract Award Notice 584823-2026, Official Journal of the European Union, OJ S 163/2026, published on 25 August 2026.