Heavy traffic delays around Warsaw’s Westfield Arkadia mall left motorists spending up to four and a half hours on Monday, as roadworks on Zygmunt Slominski Street rerouted traffic to surrounding streets.
Roadworks on Slominski Street Cause Major Delays
From Friday, 7 November, the City Roads Board began resurfacing work on Zygmunt Slominski Street. The project, set to finish overnight between 10 and 11 November, forced traffic that normally passes through the street to be diverted to roads surrounding the Westfield Arkadia centre.
Residents and commuters reported travel times of roughly 4½ hours for a trip of only three kilometres, according to a local reader’s account.
Closure of Key Segment and Local Congestion
The section of the street heading toward the Gdański Bridge, from the roundabout at the “Radosław” AK Association to the Gdański Station, has been closed. This has triggered local detours that clog the entire network of streets around the mall and all its parking facilities.
Weekend Interventions and Holiday‑Prep Rush
During Saturday, authorities intervened twice in the Arkadia area because of a traffic paralysis. Monday’s spike in traffic is further aggravated by shoppers on the eve of the national holiday on 11 November, with people moving into the margins earlier than usual.
Long‑Term Parking Constraints and New Rules in Wola
Users of the Wola Park parking lot report that exiting can take up to two hours today. In October, new parking rules were introduced: the first drive‑in on any of the Wola lot’s platforms is free for two hours per day, after which each subsequent hour costs 6 PLN. These changes are tied to barriers and a new parking management system.
Impact on Other Shopping Centres and Broader Public Sentiment
Complaints also came from the CH Janki area, the M1 corridor in Marki, and CH Targówek near Głębocka. In the afternoons, traffic towards these centres slows as the number of visitors rises, extending the time required to exit the parking lots.
The issue of traffic signals coordination, parking organisation and the overall management of the area remains widely discussed by residents and officials.
Advice to Drivers and Calls for Careful Compliance
Officials urge motorists to exercise caution, heeding traffic controllers’ instructions, and to plan for extended travel times in areas with roadworks and parking entry/exit zones.
