Poland Roads

Poland


All photos courtesy Adam Zawodny, though I do not know the original photographer or locations. If you recognize anything, please let me know!


Different parts of a future freeway extension, where the current end is at a trumpet interchange. This is a step up from the famous Middle Eastern photo where traffic drives the wrong way down the ramp and makes a hard turn - at least here, there is a dedicated, correct-direction roadway that "flips" the trumpet ramp during construction. This highway will evidently be tolled, and the section in the third photo is very nearly open. (Because I don't know where these photos were taken, don't quote me on them all being of the same highway.)


All roads lead to Dzikówko. It's possible that the one to the north (whichever direction north is) is Dzikówo, with only one 'k.' Leave it to Poland to possibly have two towns with nearly identical names next to each other.


This is a horse crossing location. I guess Polish horses are bred from bulls and cows. And are made of beef.


Break out your Polish dictionaries or call up your favorite translation service. The first sign says bicycles are allowed, while right below it the language says "it does not concern bicycles." So, does it or doesn't it? What does it mean to "concern" a bicycle? The second sign is completely lost without context - it reads "it concerns invalids also." What does? This should never appear on a standalone pole. (I could make a Pole joke here, but I'm feeling nice.) Lost in translation, this could mean "be concerned for/watch for invalids."


Także is another way to say "also" from również (I really hope you can see these characters). So once again, this means "it concerns invalids also." And once again, you get absolutely no context, because the only thing permitted or prohibited by the top sign is... nothing. Does that mean nothing concerns invalids, or does it mean everything does? I'm sure there's good comedic material out of this conundrum.


The lower sign is a dead end. The upper sign means one way. Together, they mean confusion, because it looks like you both can and cannot proceed. I can't imagine this is a one way dead end, so one of the two signs needs to be removed.

To park or not to park...

No parking, unless you're not a car.


The culmination of this three-part "no parking" series. Let's see... no parking ahead, even though there are clearly cars parked all along the street. The arrow signifies a one way road ahead, but then the sign below says not to enter. There are clearly cars parked ahead, so where is the no parking restriction? And they're all pointing straight, so where is the "no entry" restriction? The only sign that could possibly be correct is the arrow. Why post all the signs? Must be Polish humor.


You can't come out, but if you do, please yield. But no, really, don't come out this way. Unless you're careful.


Once again, do you or don't you? The second one signs a bypass to the left - I guess you don't get to take it.


Speaking of bypasses, good luck finding your way out of Policko. Clearly there is a road bypassing the town to one side that allows all vehicles (above which is a road that appears to allow no vehicles - I'm sure no one obeys that restriction). However, you are clearly already in Policko. If your vehicle weighs more than 15t, you have no choice to turn around. So what's the point of having this here? Why not sign the 15 tonne restriction well before town limits, at a viable bypass road not shown on the sign, and then you only have to say "vehicles over 7 tonnes follow the long way."


Unusual but typical merge sign. The question is, though, what is traffic in the middle lane really supposed to do? Should you bob and weave like a 1950's dance craze and hope the arrows in the right lane don't come after you? Does the right lane even end? There's no dashed line! So why is traffic being forced to merge out of a lane that continues? Only in Poland...

I've heard Polish highways are bad, but come on.

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