The streets of the capital are being given a long overdue overhaul. This is a trying time for Varsovians with road works holding up traffic along major arteries and smaller streets. Still, people seem to be taking it all in their stride. Not that they have much choice. A lot of the work simply cannot be put off any longer.

July and August were quite an ordeal this year. People long accustomed to carefree cruising around town during the vacation period suddenly found themselves stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Digging up major roads virtually brought the city to a standstill.

Replacing the tram tracks along Jerozolimskie Avenue between the terminal loops on Banacha Street and Gocławek was the most visible inconvenience. This had been on the drawing board for several years and also involved building a traffic control system and purchasing new trams. Jerozolimskie Avenue was resurfaced between Zawiszy Square and Warszawa-Centralna Station. The EU chipped in zl.73 million to help fund the zl.180 million project.

Jerozolimskie Avenue is being extended westward, with more lanes and separated intersections being built at the Pruszków exit. The current section will cost zl.50 million and there is another zl.72 million section waiting to be done.

Road works were also a common sight along the Wisłostrada expressway. The overpass at the Rondo Starzyńskiego traffic circle has finally been completed. The EU helped foot the bill, which topped zl.90 million. Major road works have commenced on Puławska Street. Repairing one side between Dolna and Domaniewska streets was completed at the end of October and now the other side is being done. Puławska Street is also being widened to three lanes each way between Warsaw and Piaseczno as two lanes cannot cope with the traffic. The City of Warsaw is coming up with most of the zl.55 million needed, but the Auchan hypermarket and Piaseczno's Fashion House outlet are also contributing.

Poleczki Street is being extended to pass over the Radom railway line and lead straight on to Warsaw's international Okęcie airport. The first lane should be open by the end of the year. Strange as it may seem, Okęcie can only be reached by a single road.

Warsaw also has some ambitious future plans. Euro 2012, to be co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine, has brought a lot of road works forward as Warsaw's road and transport networks are in no condition to cope with the huge influx of expected visitors. Long dormant plans like the zl.300 million beltway between the Żaba and Wiatraczna traffic circles in the capital's downtown are being revived. Work on connecting the Trasa Siekierkowska expressway with National Highway No. 2, at a cost of zl.140 million, should get under way next year. Trasa Siekierkowska is also being extended in the direction of Płowiecka Street. The EU will be coming to the party with zl.73 million of the necessary zl.190 million.

There are plans afoot to join Trasa Siekierkowska with the planned Most Północny (North Bridge) route. The way it's going, commuters shouldn't be holding their breath. City Hall is still acquiring the necessary land. A flat bridge is planned with three lanes each way together with tram tracks. Schüssler Plan is in charge of the zl.600 million project.

Until recently, repairing the Trasa Toruńska expressway was conditional on constructing the North Bridge. Now it appears that the Modlińska Street overpass is slowly falling apart, as are the railway tracks. Closing Trasa Toruńska is not an option. The National Road and Freeway Authority (GDDKiA) has assumed responsibility and is planning to rebuild the overpass within 12 months.

The planned Krasińskiego Bridge, which will connect Wilsona Square with Bródno, should alleviate some of the congestion on Trasa Toruńska. The project, still in the development stage, is expected to cost zl.360 million.

The Most Południowy (South Bridge) is the GDDKiA's way of bringing the A2 freeway to town and slicing through the southern suburbs. There's still no telling when it will actually be built though. It was slated for completion by 2010 but there's no way this deadline will be met. The GDDKiA is keen to have it finished before Euro 2012.

City Hall is working on the Praga, or eastern, end of the Świętokrzyski Bridge expressway. The section after the exit ramp, which will be one of the main roads leading to the stadium, is now under construction. Finally, a footbridge has been planned to bring the Old Town within easy access of the stadium.

The sheer number of projects is staggering, as is the cost. The city authorities have earmarked zl.12 billion, some of which will be coming from Brussels, for road and transport infrastructure over the next few years. Most will be completed in time for Euro 2012. This promises to be a magical year for Warsaw and the Polish capital is keen to present itself to the world in the best possible light.