THE NORTHERN bypass around Banská Bystrica, the last of four sections of the dual carriageway R1 Pribina between Nitra and Tekovské Nemce, was opened to drivers on Friday, July 27. The 5.7 kilometre bypass built by the construction company Granvia cost about €160 million, the TASR newswire reported on July 27.
The last section of the R1 carriageway includes four intersections, 24 bridges and nearly 6 kilometres of anti-noise walls. The overall length of the new roads, including crossroads, is almost 13 kilometres.
This public-private partnership (PPP) project, which is the first of its kind in Slovakia and which was so heavily criticised by the previous government, has proven itself viable, said Prime Minister Robert Fico shortly before the opening ceremony.
“It is becoming clear that for the future it is not possible for us to build motorways without combining the [financial] resources of the state, European Union and public-private partnerships,” the PM added, as quoted by TASR.
The operation and maintenance of the northern bypass will be provided by a company called Granvia Operation and through its supplier Eurovia SK.
