Motorways and expressways in Poland are controlled-access highways in the network of Poland's national roads. They feature grade-separated interchanges with all other roads, emergency lanes, feeder lanes, wildlife crossings and dedicated roadside rest areas. Motorways differ from expressways in their technical parameters like designated speed, permitted road curvature, lane widths or minimal distances between interchanges. Moreover, expressways might have single-carriageway sections in case of low traffic densities (as of 2026, such sections constitute 3% of the highway network).
The development of modern highways began in the 1970s, but proceeded very slowly under the communist rule and for the first years afterwards: between 1970 and 2000 only 434 km of highways (5% of the planned network) were constructed in total.Here and in the following figures, construction of 1st or 2nd carriageway is accounted as half-length for consistency of the summed results. Sections constructed by Nazi Germany are accounted for the dates of their reconstruction to modern highways. Further 1050 km (13% of the network) were opened from 2001 to 2010, followed by 2773 km (34% of the network) constructed between 2011 and 2020. It is planned to open about 2450 km (30%) in the 2020s, while the last about 1500 km (18%) would be completed in the 2030s.
, there are 5,596.1 km of motorways and expressways in operation (68% of the intended network), while contracts for construction of a further 1022 kmIncluding design–build contracts; see the List of motorways and expressways for details on the phases of construction and design. (13% of the network) are ongoing.
Except for the single-carriageway expressway sections, both types of highways fulfill the definition of a motorway as specified by OECD, WRA or Vienna Convention. Speed limits in Poland are 140 km/h on motorways and 120 km/h on expressways (100 km/h for single-carriageway expressway sections). Some motorway stretches are tolled.
Technical parameters Motorways () are public roads with controlled access that are designated for motor vehicles only, and feature two carriageways with at least two continuous lanes each, divided by a median. They have no single-level intersections with any roads or other forms of land and water transport, and have wildlife crossings constructed above the road. They feature emergency lanes and feeder lanes, and are equipped with dedicated roadside rest areas. Motorways are the only roads in Poland that use a blue background on road signs; others use green road signs. Expressways () share most of the characteristics of motorways, differing mainly in that:
Expressways are designated for lower speed than motorways. For example, the road curvature can be more severe and the lanes are usually narrower (3.5m vs 3.75m). Emergency lanes are also narrower (2.5m vs 3m) and in exceptional situations expressways might not have them at all. Expressways can have a single carriageway on sections with low traffic density. Motorways can have interchanges only with main roads, and the distance between interchanges is typically not less than 15 km (or 5 km near major cities), while expressways typically have more frequent interchanges. In exceptional situations, expressways might not have dedicated feeder lanes on interchanges.
List of motorways and expressways
In 2004, the government published the ordinance defining the planned highway network of length about . Notable changes introduced in later amendments include re-routing S8 and adding S61 instead (a change related to the Rospuda Valley conflict), introducing S16, S52 and A/S50, as well as extending S5,to Ostróda in 2015 and to Bolków in 2019 S8to Kłodzko in 2019 and S10,to Wołomin in 2015 raising the total length to about . The planned network consists of 16 major highways (over 200 km of intended length each): A1, S3, S5, S7, S11, S17, S19, S61 running north to south and A2/S2, A4, S6/A6, S8/A8, S10, S12, S16, S74 running west to east, as well as 9 shorter highways. +Completed highwaysSignRouteLocationTotal length ExistingYears of opening Gdańsk (S6) - Grudziądz (S5) - Toruń (S10) - - - - 566.6 km566.6 km100% - - - A2 - Zielona Góra - Legnica (A4) - 454.9 km454.9 kmof which 3 km near the Czech border remain closed until connecting D11 is constructed100%2010 – 2025 - - - Opole - - - - - 669 km669 km 100%1983 – 2016 Łódź western bypass Łódź40.2 km40.2 km 100% 2012 – 2023 – 76.5 km76.5 km 100% 2006,2022/2023 52.2 km single carriageway 50% 2008 Olsztyn (S16) – Olsztynek (S7) 20.3 km 20.3 km 100% 2012, 2019 Kraków northern bypass Kraków18.3 km18.3 km100% 1986 – 2024 Ostrów Mazowiecka (S8) - Łomża - Ełk (S16) - Suwałki - (Via Baltica) 213.5 km213.5 km100% 2019 – 2025 Warsaw 4.8 km 4.8 km 100% 2013 Upper Silesia 5.9 km 5.9 km 100% 1985Major completed sections Main section: - S3 - Poznań - - - 598.9 km 564.1 km 34.8 km 100% Main section: - 340.3 km340.3 km100%2012 – 2022 Primary route: - Szczecin (S3/S10) - Koszalin (S11) - Gdynia (S7) - Gdańsk (A1) 361.2 km 333.1 km 28.1 km 100% Main section:Wrocław (A4) - Łódź (A1) - - Warsaw - 548.2 km 525.5 km 22.7 km 100%2008 – 2019 Main section:Warsaw (A2) – Lublin (S12/S19) 150 km150 km100%2013 – 2020 Highways under construction Sign Route Location Total length Existing Construction commenced Of which under active construction Scheduled years of opening Tender In preparation Katowice Airport (A1) - Mysłowice (A4) - Bielsko-Biała (S52) - 144 km83.9%(91%)10 km(new route) 2027 (+ 39.5 km)(100%) Eastern section: 59 km26.7 km45.3%10 km 2029?, ?15.5 km6.8 km Szczecin western bypass (A6 – S3) Szczecin 50.8 km 0 km 0%50.8 km Gdynia - Gdańsk (A1) - Elbląg (S22) - Olsztynek (S51) - approx. 750 km93.9%9 km( are open to traffic on the whole length of the reconstruction site)2027, 2032? (reconstruction(+ 22 km)(100%)Warsaw - Radom (S12) - Kielce (S74) - Kraków (A4)+ 3.4 km 1st carriageway98% 2.3 km+ 3.4 km 2nd carriageway2026(+ 12.5 km)(100%)Kraków (A4) - Rabka-Zdrój - 34.6%partial reconstruction to grade-separated and 1 lane in northbound direction are open to traffic)2031?, 2033?, 2040? (+ 25 km)(62%)Southern section:Wrocław (A8) - Kłodzko - approx. 127.4 km5.1 km4%68.8 km32 km2027, 2028, 2029,2037?approx. 53.5 km Main section: - Bydgoszcz (S5) - 297 km+ 17.5 km1st carriageway19.8%153 km+ 17.5 km 2nd carriageway45.4 km2027, 2028, 2030?, 2031?37.8 km39.5 km - 556.5 km154.4 km+ 10.5 km1st carriageway28.7%122.1 km+ 4.2 km2nd carriageway25 km+ 4.2 km2nd carriageway 2026, 2028, 2029, 2031?, 2033?78.4 km145.1 km+ 6.3 km 2nd c/w Eastern section:Lublin (S17/S19) - Chełm - 103.7 km29.2 km28.2%68.8 km2027, 2028, 2032? 5.7 km Olsztyn (S51) - Ełk (S61) - approx. 245 km46.2 km1st carriageway23%19.7 km+ 20.1 km2nd carriageway 2028, 2034?, 2039?77.5 km+ approx. 81.5 km Eastern section:Lublin (S12/S19) - Zamość - 126 km9.6 km+ 2 km 1st carriageway8.4%92 km47.7 km 2027, 2028, 2030?,2nd c/w: 2035?22.3 km2 km 2nd carriagewayVia Carpatia - Białystok (S8) - - 572.5 km31.2 km12.7% 198.7 km 2nd carriageway174.6 km 2nd carriageway2026, 2027, 2028,2030?, 2031?32 km37.4 km 141.7 km94.8%(100%) 16.3 km2nd carriageway2026 Rzeszów (A4) – 32.1 km33.2% 64.5 km38.8 km2026, 2027, 2028Łódź (A1) - Sulejów (S12) - Kielce (S7) - Nisko (S19) approx. 261 km 16.7 km 6.4% 98.6 km 18.7 km2027, 2028, 2029,2032?, 2033?, 2034? 92 km+ approx. 54 kmPlanned highways Sign Route Location Total length Existing Construction commenced Of which under active construction Tender complete In preparation Planned Eastern section: 101.8 km14.3 km14%87.5 km2033 Western section:Bolków (S3) – Świdnica – S850.2 km0 km0%50.2 km2032 Eastern section: - 120.4 km 0 km 0% 2033 Western section: - Radom (S7) - Lublin (S17) 185 km16.4 km+ 6.0 km1st carriageway10.7%29.1 km 13.2 km 120.3 km+ 6.0 km 2nd c/w 2033 Warsaw eastern bypass Warsaw17.3 km3.5 km20.2%13.8 km 2036 Warsaw(2nd ring road) approx. 265 km 0 km 0%2040 - 98 km37 km37.8%61 km 2032 In total Planned length Existing Construction commenced Of which under active construction Tender Predesign complete In preparation No progress Total approx. approx. 6164 km 5305.2 km1st carriageway 65.21% 1049.4 km2nd carriageway 501.3 km2nd carriageway 265.6 km 0 km approx.1532.7 km2nd carriageway 2nd c/w
Cross-sections
As of 1st October 2026, the operational sections of highways feature the following cross-sections: 7% (398 km) – motorways and expressways with 2×3 or (occasionally) 2×4 or more lanes, 90% (5050 km) – motorways and expressways with 2×2 lanes, 3% (149 km) – single-carriageway expressways, of which 55 km with dual-carriageway fragments (2×2) around the interchanges.
All single-carriageway expressways are constructed with allocated space for a possible upgrade to a dual-carriageway and all bridges above such highways are prepared to accommodate the second carriageway. Most of those sections are planned to be widened to full profile by 2033, the exceptions being S1 (near the Slovak border) and S22 (near the Kaliningrad Oblast border) where widening is currently not expected.
Substandard highways
Motorways and expressways constructed before 1999 do not have to fulfill technical parameters defined by the ministry ordinance. As of 2026, one notable case of a substandard highway remains: A4 on the section Krzyżowa – Wrocław (103 km) was constructed in years 1934 – 1937 (then the territory of Nazi Germany) and renovated in years 2002 – 2006. The road received new high quality surface but the geometry was kept unchanged and many overpasses above the motorway were kept. In effect, this part has no emergency lanes and the speed limit is decreased to 110 km/h. Its full reconstruction (and widening to three lanes per direction) is scheduled for years 2027 – 2031.
Notable historical cases: Expressways were formerly allowed to admit at-grade intersections with minor public roads in exceptional cases. The last such section which remained operational past 1999 was S3 near Szczecin (19 km), opened in 1979, which featured two at-grade road intersections until the reconstruction conducted in years 2019 – 2020. Since 2020, all expressways (as well as motorways) in Poland only have grade-separated interchanges and the exception admitting at-grade intersections on expressways was formally removed from the ordinance in 2022. A6 near Szczecin (29 km) was constructed by Nazi Germany and kept using the original surface made of concrete slabs until the reconstruction conducted in years 1996 – 1999 and (easternmost fragment) 2017 – 2021. A18 (70 km) had its southern carriageway constructed by Nazi Germany. The northern carriageway was constructed in 2004 – 2006, while the southern carriageway kept using the original concrete slabs until the reconstruction conducted in years 2020 – 2023.
Speed limits Maximum speed (km/h) by vehicle type Motorway Expressway dual-carriageway single-carriageway Private car, motorbike, van up to 3.5t (except if towing trailer) 140 120 100 Bus meeting additional technical requirements 100 Bus or a vehicle over 3.5t or towing trailer or carrying dangerous materials 80 Vehicle having equipment more than 1.5m forward of the driver's seat 60 Motorbike (including towing trailer) carrying a child up to 7 years old 40
Other restrictions Pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds, and agricultural vehicles are not allowed on motorways. It is forbidden to stop except in extraordinary circumstances, or to travel backwards. Towing is not allowed on motorways, but is permitted on expressways.
Tolls
Since 2023, all state-owned highways are free for vehicles up to 3.5 tons of permissible maximum weight (for a passenger car with a trailer, the joint permissible maximum weight of the car and the trailer must not exceed 3.5 tons). On some sections, old inactive infrastructure for toll collection is still in place.
The privately owned sections of A1, A2 and A4 are tolled. They are indicated by the motorway sign accompanied by the word Płatna.