Suwałki 2023-03-06
Airport in Słupsk.
Geographic coordinates: 54.074N 22.894E. Elevation 178 m (588 ft).
The city of Suwalki.
Suwałki is a city in Poland in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. The city has poviat rights. The area of the city is 65.5 square km. The population is 68,752 people (2022).
Geographically, Suwałki is located in the East-Suwałki Lake District, on the Czarna Hańcza River. The Wigry National Park is nearby. Historically, it is the Suwałki Region, which in the period 1569 - 1795 belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. After the Great World War, Suwałki returned to Poland. The current construction of the Via Baltica expressway and the Rail Baltica railway route are intended to influence the economic development of the region, as well as Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland. Suwałki is located in areas rich in iron, vanadium, lead and titanium ores. Currently, they are not exploited, mainly due to blockades made by the European Union.
The city of Suwałki was founded in 1690 by the Camaldolese Order from the nearby monastery in Wigry. City rights were granted in 1720 by King August II the Strong. The city received the right of markets and fairs. In its history, the city was under Muscovite and Prussian tyranny several times.
Suwałki is crossed by: Expressway S61 (E67) Suwałki - Budzisko. Provincial road No. 652. Provincial road No. 653. Provincial road No. 655.
PKP Suwałki.
The Suwałki railway station was opened in 1896. The railway line and the station were built by Muscovites for the needs of the Ruthenian army. The Suwałki station is a front-end station.
Currently, the station has three platforms and four platform edges. The Suwałki station is a regional station and serves about 500 passengers a day (2018). The building of the station has remained unchanged until now (2023) and is a historic monument.
The tracks at the station are as follows: Track No. 1 is part of the Railway Line 40 (Sokółka – Suwałki). Track no. 2 is part of the railway line 39 (Olecko - Suwałki). Track no. 3 is part of the railway line 51 (Suwałki - Trakiszki). From the station there are sidings to the Heat and Power Plant, to the Furniture Factory and to the Scrap Metal Purchase.
Suwałki station is a junction station. There are three railway lines here:
Railway line No. 39 Olecko - Suwałki. It is a 42.902 km non-electrified line. The maximum speed is 60 km/h. The line was built in 1915. In 2010, passenger traffic was suspended. Currently (2023) modernization is underway and passenger traffic will be restored. In January 2010, the management board of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe recommended the course of the Rail Baltica railway route through Ełk and Olecko. This route is 33 kilometers longer than through Augustów, but technical, ecological, economic aspects and the expected number of passengers prevailed in choosing this route variant. At the same time, electrification of all railway lines is planned.
Railway line No. 40 Sokółka - Suwałki. It is a line with a length of 99.041 km, single-track, non-electrified. The maximum speed is 100 km/h. The line was rendered in fragments: 1899 (Kamienna Nowa - Suwałki), 1961 (Sokółka - Sidra), 1963 (Sidra - Kamienna Nowa). The line connects to railway line No. 6.
The railway line No. 51 Suwałki – Trakiszki is a line with a length of 29.122 km. The line is non-electrified, single-track. Traszki - Mackava is a border station on the Polish-Lithuanian border. The maximum speed of trains on the line is 60 km/h.
Suwalki Airport.
The airport in Suwałki is located approximately 3,000 m from the city center. Since February 9, 2017, the airport has been managed by the Suwałki Aviation School, and previously it was hosted by the Suwałki Aeroclub. The airport in Suwałki is a regional airport equipped with a hard, asphalt runway.
The airport is also used by the Polish Medical Air Rescue, which opened its base here on June 4, 2005. In 2010, a modern base for LPR was launched. The rescue aviation is supplemented by a helipad located at the district hospital at Szpitalna Street. The heliport was commissioned in 2014.
The airport has an area of 110 hectares. In 2020, the RWY with an asphalt and concrete surface with a length of 1,320 m was commissioned. The Suwałki Aviation School operates at the airport.
The airport has the ICAO code - EPSU. Radio communication, Suwałki-Radio 122.800 MHz. Northern circle for powered aircraft. The gliders make a southern circle. Due to the Wigry National Park, there is no possibility of arrival from the east.
In recent years, PLN 27 million has been invested in the modernization of the airport. Scope of construction works: Construction of the main runway (DS-1) with a length of 1,320 m and a width of 30 m. 076/256 (08L/26R), 1,320 m x 30 m. Artificial surface along with a grass runway strip and a slab for turning at DS-1 with artificial surface. Construction of a PPS apron with dimensions of 65 m x 130 m with artificial surface. Construction of the DK taxiway, 15 m wide, connecting the DS-1 runway with the PPS apron, artificial surface. Construction of a runway (DS-2) 800 m long and 60 m wide, with a natural sod surface. 076/256 (08R/26L), 800 m x 60 m. Construction of the necessary technical infrastructure, including lighting.
The ceremonial launch of the new investments took place on August 8, 2020.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman