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.
The last section of the R1 carriageway includes four intersections, 24 bridges and almost 6 kilometres of anti-noise walls. The overall length of new roads, including crossroads, is almost 13 kilometres.
Moreover, each of the intersections provides access to local roads or to the R1 in the direction of Brezno, the Banská Bystrica Region, Bratislava or Ružomberok, in the Žilina Region. The three-level ‘Kostiviarska’ intersection is the main traffic junction of the project.
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 R1 Nitra-Tekovské Nemce double carriageway and Banská Bystrica northern bypass is the first PPP project of this scale in the history of Slovakia. The construction work was carried out via a concession agreement, with the contractor obliged to provide financing, design, construction and 30 years of operation and maintenance of the four sections, TASR wrote.
The operation and maintenance of the northern bypass will be provided by a company called Granvia Operation and through its supplier Eurovia SK.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
