TWO days before the regional elections Prime Minister Robert Fico ceremonially opened the R4 motorway between Košice and the border village of Milhošť, in eastern Slovakia.
The road is an important connection between the east of Slovakia and Hungary, Fico commented during the ceremony, as reported by the TASR newswire.
Fico said that the plan to build the expressway was first presented in 1992; nevertheless, the idea began to materialise as late as between 2006-10, when Fico's first administration included the project in its Government Manifesto.
“The expenditures on the construction of the road were covered mainly from European Union resources,” TASR quoted Fico as saying. “I'm glad that the stretch, which includes 16 bridges, has been completed and can serve the public."
Also speaking at the opening ceremony, director of the National Highway Company (NDS) Milan Gajdoš added that the construction of the 14.2-km section cost a total of €78 million and took 37 months because of several short delays that were caused by a number of archaeological finds from the Late Iron Age recovered at the construction site, according to 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.
