Influence of the A2 motorway on the economic development at local level

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to analyze the selected investment in transport infrastructure in terms of its impact on the economy at the local level. The study involves ten gminas within a 60 km radius (approximately 1 hour's traveling distance) of Poznań. Using the available statistical data set, it was determined whether the construction of the motorway had an impact on the number and the structure of enterprises located in the surveyed communities, the levels of gmina revenues, and the situation on the labour market. Performed analysis allowed reaching a positive verification of the research hypothesis, which predicts that the A2 did not have a decisive impact on the economic development of the gminas. In all of the included aspects, gminas located along the A2 were characterized by a relatively high level of economic development compared to the Wielkopolskie Voivodship and the rest of Poland. At the same time, the level of development was lower when compared with gminas within the Poznań Poviat. These results suggest that the decisive factor in shaping the level of economic development was their geographic location in relation to the nearby urban agglomeration of Poznań.