Safety systems in tunnels and their impact on the safety of users and rescue teams, as illustrated by the integration of three road tunnels—the S1 Węgierska Górka Bypass project and the Laliki Tunnel

Observing current trends and directions in infrastructure development, one might venture to say that “the future of transportation lies underground.” This is primarily due to limited space in cities, as well as the rapid expansion of road, rail, tram, and subway networks.
Tunnels, as specialized civil engineering structures, however, pose specific risks to both users and emergency and firefighting services. These risks stem from, among other things:
– an enclosed space with no direct access to the outdoors (except for entrances and any emergency exits),
– location beneath terrain obstacles or structures,
– lack of natural light,
– extended evacuation routes (sometimes stretching for several kilometers),
– difficult access to the scene (most often only through gateways),
– presence of internal obstacles resulting from the facility’s function (vehicles, train cars),
– high fire energy of a single incident (calculated at up to 150 MW).
It should also be emphasized that, apart from a small group of specialists, few people are familiar with the rules for evacuating tunnels—including how to behave in an emergency or where the safe zones are located. This was clearly demonstrated by the fire in the S2 tunnel in Warsaw, during which many drivers failed to follow the established procedures.

He holds a Master of Science in Transportation Engineering and graduated from the Silesian University of Technology in 1994, where he completed his studies in industrial transportation under the supervision of Prof. Jerzy Mikulski.
Until 2008, he held management positions in the logistics sector as well as in the automotive and home appliance industries. Since 2009, he has been with the WASKO S.A. Capital Group, where he was responsible for business development in the area of project implementation—particularly in the fields of IT technology and low-voltage systems, including infrastructure projects carried out for Euro 2012 and in the area of Intelligent Transportation Systems (Smart City).
He has been involved in the transportation sector since 2013 as deputy director, and since 2018 has been leading its development within the Department of Automation and Telematics. He is responsible for developing the WASKO Group’s expertise in automation and telematics, collaborating with entities such as GDDKiA, PKP PLK, and general contractors for road and rail projects.
He is actively involved in industry activities—he participated in the international conference “Transport Systems Telematics” (2010–2020), and since 2021 has been involved in events organized by the Association of Transportation Engineers and Technicians of the Republic of Poland, the Polish Road Congress, and the Geotechnical Engineering and Underground Construction Congress.