EIB Grants €500M Loan to Poland for New S17 Expressway Sections in Lublin Region

With this latest loan, the EIB’s total investments in Poland’s road infrastructure in 2025 have reached €1.38 billion, significantly above the average of recent years.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a €500 million long-term loan to Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK)—Poland’s national development bank—to build 93 km of new S17 expressway sections in the Lublin region of south-eastern Poland. The investment marks a significant boost to Poland’s transport network, enhancing civilian mobility, economic activity, and strategic military transport across Europe’s eastern flank.

With this latest loan, the EIB’s total investments in Poland’s road infrastructure in 2025 have reached €1.38 billion, significantly above the average of recent years.

Part of a Broader Surge in EIB Support for Polish Road Development

The €1.38 billion total includes:

• €600 million loan to BGK for Poland’s S74 expressway, and

• €275 million loan to Poland’s State Treasury supporting the National Roads Resilience Programme (to 2030)—a nationwide effort to make Polish roads more resilient to climate change, including heat, floods and extreme weather.

The EIB is increasingly using its financing to strengthen both transport efficiency and climate resilience, aligning investments with the EU’s broader green and security strategies.

Improving Connectivity Between Warsaw and Ukraine

The new loan will support the construction of four major S17 sections between Piaski and Hrebenne, forming a key corridor linking Warsaw to the Ukrainian border. Works include:

• multi-level junctions

• access roads

• noise barriers

• service areas

• enhanced environmental and safety features

EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska said the investment will bring long-lasting benefits:

“These projects improve the flow of goods, strengthen regional growth, support military mobility, and help Poland address transport challenges linked to climate change.”

Strengthening Civilian and Military Mobility

The S17 expansion is strategically significant. As Poland remains a critical logistical hub for EU-Ukraine connectivity, upgrading this corridor supports:

• faster and safer travel

• improved supply chain reliability

• enhanced military readiness on NATO’s eastern flank

• better humanitarian and reconstruction access related to Ukraine

BGK Vice-President Maciej Kliś emphasized the strategic importance:

“The S17 is a key corridor linking Poland with Ukraine. Expanding it will improve the flow of goods and people, while facilitating military mobility on the eastern flank.”

Nearly €35 Billion in Total EIB Support for Polish Transport

The EIB is one of Poland’s largest infrastructure partners, having financed nearly €35 billion in transport projects—about one-third of all EIB investments in the country. Combined with rail transport, EIB support for mobility projects in Poland has reached €2.5 billion in 2025.

Cooperation with BGK now includes 49 road projects, making it one of the most productive public-bank partnerships in the European Union.

Increasing Poland’s Climate Resilience

Beyond financing, the EIB is providing technical advisory services under its July 2025 agreement with Poland’s State Treasury. These services support:

• increasing road load-bearing capacity

• adapting drainage systems to heavier rainfall

• preventing flood damage

• renovating up to 125 km of national roads, including bridges

This work strengthens the resilience of Poland’s road network—one of the fastest-growing in Europe—to climate-related risks.

Supporting Sustainable Economic Growth and Security

The EIB’s expanding involvement in Poland reflects:

• long-term commitment to Central and Eastern European infrastructure

• support for EU objectives on sustainable mobility

• strengthening of the region’s economic competitiveness

• reinforcement of logistical and military resilience amid evolving security challenges

By modernising major expressways such as the S17, Poland is improving its internal mobility, strengthening international transport routes, and ensuring its infrastructure is future-proofed for climate and security pressures.