Social investment conflicts related to the construction of the A1 motorway in the Silesian voivodeship (Southern Poland)

Abstract

Motorway construction poses various problems, both in green fields, mainly because of concerns about the natural environment, as well as in brown fields, for technical reasons and due to disturbing residents. The Silesian voivodeship is one of the particularly problematic areas. The construction of the A1 motorway is not an easy task there. It is not only because of the potential changes in the environment or difficulties in conducting construction work in mining areas, but also because of the highly urbanised area, requiring both the compulsory purchase of land, as well as demolition of housing infrastructure. The aim of the study is to present the most serious conflicts related to the construction of the A1 motorway in the Silesian voivodeship. The method used in the study was the analysis of documents related to its construction from the websites of the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (Generalna Dyrekcja Dróg Krajowych i Autostrad – GDDKiA), the Voivodeship Office in Katowice and evaluation of information from the websites of communities in which the motorway investments were carried out. Moreover, voivodeship electronic editions of magazines and daily newspapers from the years 2006-2013 on the disputes arising from the construction of the A1 motorway were reviewed. As a result of the study it was found that for different sections of the motorway social conflicts occurred. They were diverse in nature, extent and the course. The analysis of the results shows that the implementation of this type of investment requires not only financial expenses and studies on the environmental impact, but also activities involving their social environment.