There are several highway strips in Poland. A new one, not far from Ukraine has just been established.
According to TVN24, one of the most influential Polish TV stations, a part of A4 Highway received a status of a highway strip. Highway Strips in Poland are called Drogowy Odcinek Lotniskowy (DOL) that more or less means Airstrip Section of the Road.
The strip is located in Southeast part of Poland, between Tarnów and Dębica. Since there are no active runways and airbases in the area, the decision to make a new strip available to warplanes may be related to the events that take part beyond the border with Ukraine.
The DOL is 3 km long and 36 m wide. From the strategic point of view it may be a useful point for dislocation of aircraft. It may also be used as an emergency strip, capable to accomodate Polish Air Force or allied fighter planes, transport aircraft or even a civilian airliner, should the need arise.
The section of the highway looks usual, but there is no ordinary infrastructure installed in the area, such as bridges, and the road barriers can be removed quickly. Parking space for the aircraft are placed at both ends of the improvised runway. What is more, the central reservation has been removed and replaced with tarmac.
If a landing is to happen, the junction points in Tarnów and Żyraków are closed for traffic.
Jacek Siminski for TheAviationist
Top: Photo file of a C-130 landing on a highway in Germany (Wikimedia)