THE CONSTRUCTION of two highway stretches near Žilina, one of which includes what is to become Slovakia’s longest highway tunnel when finished, was launched on June 17.
The 13.5-kilometre D1 highway stretch between Lietavská Lúčka and Dubná Skala, which includes the Višňové tunnel, and another 4.25-kilometre stretch of the D3 highway between Žilina-Strážov and Žilina-Brodno should be completed by 2019, according to Transport Minister Ján Počiatek, who ceremonially laid the cornerstone of the construction.
Počiatek described the stretch with the Višňové tunnel as the Gordian Knot of the entire D1 motorway, which has been untied by the start of the construction work.
“The entire southern bypass around Žilina, the Hričovské Podhradie-Lietavská Lúčka, including other stretches, wouldn’t make any sense [without this stretch], as they wouldn’t be interconnected,” he said, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
The D1 section with the Višňové tunnel will be built by a consortium of Salini Impregilo and Dúha for nearly €410 million. The construction work is being funded from the Transport Operational Programme and the Integrated Operational Programme Infrastructure, TASR reported.
The D3 motorway stretch will be built by a consortium of Eurovia SK, Hochtief CZ and SMS for less than €255 million. It will also be funded first from the Transport Operational Programme and then from the Integrated Operational Programme Infrastructure. The stretch should be completed in three years, according to TASR.
At the moment, 75 percent of all D1 stretches from Bratislava to Košice are in operation, while another 20 percent are under construction. Two stretches remain unresolved.
“I believe that we’ll resolve them in the next few months,” Počiatek said, as quoted by TASR.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Michaela Terenzani from press reports.
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information
presented in its Flash News postings.
