Cranes help build a motorway stretch in central Slovakia on June 7, 2023. (source: National Highway Company (NDS))
In recent days, a motorway section under construction in between the towns of Kriváň and Mýtna, central Slovakia, has seen the highest concentration of cranes in the country in a long time.
Up to 39 cranes - 14 tower cranes and 25 mobile cranes - are currently used for the construction of the R2 “motorway in between the crowns of trees”, as the road section in central Slovakia has been tagged.
The R2 motorway section runs through the valley of the Krivánsky Potok stream and mountain ranges like Slovenské Rudohorie, Poľana and Javorie.
The cranes have been deployed to help build bridges in challenging terrain. The longest elevated road in Slovakia, 5 km, is also being constructed.
Eight minutes
The Kriváň - Mýtna section will interconnect two other sections: Pstruša - Kriváň and Mýtna - Lovinobaňa - Tomášovce. The latter was completed last December, except for a bridge that opened last week. Today, 9,000 vehicles use the 13.5 km section every day.
As soon as the €234 million road between Kriváň and Mýtna is finished, vehicles will drive on a safe four-lane road connecting Lučenec with Bratislava. The section should be finished in 2025, though the initial deadline was March 2024.
A bridge near the towns of Mýtna and Lovinobaňa was finally opened to drivers last week. (source: NDS)
After the Kriváň - Mýtna section is put to use, motorists are expected to save about eight minutes.
