The temporary bus station on Bottova Street. (source: Courtesy of HB Reavis)
The developer HB Reavis will start construction of a brand-new bus station in Bratislava later than originally planned. This is because they have not yet completed the temporary bus station at Bottova Street which will replace the current station until the new one can be built. The developer still does not have all the construction permits needed to complete the external part of the temporary station. It expects that it should manage to do so by the end of this summer. The original date was April.
The temporary station will be located at Bottova Centrum, just opposite the current bus station. The developer is promising better services than those previously available.
“The temporary bus station will fully replace the current bus station in terms of the number of departure and arrival platforms,” said Jakub Gossányi of HB Reavis, adding that the developer will invest between €4.5-5 million into the project.
Immediately after the bus station moves to the temporary premises, the construction of the brand new station with a price tag of €345 million will start.
It will have three over ground and two underground floors, with bus platforms located on the first underground storey. It will be accessible to both public and private transport, and the project involves the creation of 2,150 parking spaces and making the area accessible to cyclists and pedestrians.
In spite of the delay the developer has not changed the deadline for the completion of the new bus station in the year 2020.
Part of premises will be a 125-metre high office building called the Nivy Tower. Its construction was started already in mid-May.
In the meantime, HB Reavis will also rebuild Mlynské Nivy Street into a modern boulevard for €24 million. They plan to complete this by the time the new bus station is constructed.
The rebuild of Mlynské Nivy Street, one of the busiest streets in the city, will mean traffic restrictions for public transport as well as general traffic.
The developer has prepared two options for its reconstruction. The first one is to close the street completely for 14 months while the second one is to carry out the works gradually with limited traffic on the street over 36 months.
The decision will ultimately be up to the Bratislava City Council but the developer has expressed a preference for a complete stoppage of traffic for 14 months. They will ask the city council for a final decision only after they obtain all the construction permits for the rebuilding of Mlynské Nivy Street.
