EU funding has enabled completion of the second phase of a project to build a section of Slovakia’s D3 motorway. Entering into operation in the summer of 2017, the road has a total length of 12.28 km and runs between the villages of Svrčinovec and Skalité, in the Žilina region, in the north-west of the country.
This important section brought us closer to the construction of the motorway connection between Slovakia and Poland. The D3 has special importance not only for the Kysuce region, but for the whole of north-western Slovakia. By connecting this region with southern Poland and Ostrava in the Czech Republic, the whole area has become more attractive for investors, thus supporting job mobility.
Of the new section of the D3, 11.265 km is a two-lane single carriageway with a speed limit of 80 km/h. The remaining 1.017 km is a four-lane dual carriageway with a speed limit of 100 km/h.
Over both phases, the project entailed building the 420 m Svrčinovec tunnel, the 898 m Poľana tunnel, 24 motorway bridges totalling 6.111 km in length, 913 m of retaining walls and 4.745 km of noise protection barriers. The second phase involved installing the secondary lining in the tunnels and completing the bridges and the motorway surface.
By 2023, the work done over the entire project is expected to have generated passenger transport time savings worth over EUR 15.5 million and reductions in emissions of particulate matter 10 micrometres or less in diameter and nitrogen dioxide of 0.58 tonnes and 15 tonnes respectively.
Part of the Baltic-Adriatic corridor of the Trans-European Transport Network, the Svrčinovec-Skalité section of the D3 replaces the existing I/12 first-class road. Its construction also necessitated adjustments to the I/11 first-class road, pending completion of an adjoining section of the D3 between Čadca-Bukov and Svrčinovec.
When it is finished, the D3 will be around 60 km long. It currently begins at the Hričovské Podhradie junction with the D1 motorway and will run to the Polish border, around 3 km north-east of Skalité, where it connects with Poland’s S1 express road.
Through its connection with the D1, the D3 represents the continuation of a major motorway link between Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava, Žilina, the country’s fourth-largest city and an important regional centre with a population of over 80 000, and the historic Kysuce region.
At European level, the D3 forms part of European routes E50, E75 and E442. The E50 stretches from Brest in France to Makhachkala on the western shore of the Caspian Sea in Russia. The E75 links Vardø in northern Norway with Sitia on the Greek island of Crete. The E442 begins at Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic and ends at Žilina.
Total investment for the project “D3 Svrčinovec - Skalité, II. fáza” is EUR 131 900 000, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 112 115 000 through the “Integrated Infrastructure” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Road infrastructure (TEN-T core)”.
Ministerstvo dopravy SR, Námestie slobody 6, 810 05 Bratislava
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Boldizsar Gyori in Budapest and Karel Badohal in Warsaw; editing by Deborah Kyvrikosaios
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State subsequently plans annual work on tunnel
People heading to Poland via the Kysuce region should prepare for some traffic restrictions
The stretch of the D3 highway between Svrčinovec and Skalité has been closed due to the shooting of an American TV series
the detour route leads along the first class road I / 11 in the direction of Český Tešín through the village of Svrčinovec - Zátky
The detour route leads from Poland along road I / 12 with a limit of up to 7.5 tons
Freight transport of over 7.5 tonnes cannot use the bypass through the villages of Skalité and Čierne
but must use the nearby border crossing of Svrčinovec
According to the regional newspaper MY Kysuce
the filmmakers are shooting the third season of the Amazon series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
the shoot will take place in Poľana and Považský Chlmec
The highway section will not open even after the shoot ends
as the National Highway Company (NDS) will initiate the regular cleaning and maintenance of the highway and tunnel
The stretch will thus be closed until August 31
Zuzana Bieliková from the Slovak Audiovisual Fund said that the shooting on the D3 highway is one of the biggest projects that has ever come to Slovakia
when the Slovak Film Agency was established
we have been trying to promote Slovakia as a competitive country that can attract foreign filmmakers,” said Bieliková
“And not only in terms of film professionals
but also the beautiful locations and friendliness for which the Slovak people are known.”
The investments foreign filmmakers make in Slovakia range from €800,000 euros to €5 million
She added that the Amazon show has been the highest amount yet
The Minister of the Interior and Administration announced his decision to extend the period of reinstated border checks of travellers crossing the Polish-Slovak border by 20 days
The checks will be carried out only upon entry to Poland and crossing borders will be still allowed only at designated checkpoints
The aim of reinstating border checks is to curb irregular migration along the Balkan route
Travellers crossing the Polish-Slovak border should keep in mind to have their travel documents – an ID card or a passport – on them at all times
Crossing borders is possible at nine road border crossings:
border checks of travellers will be temporarily reinstated at the Polish-Slovak border
The checks are carried out only upon entry to Poland and crossing borders is now allowed only at designated checkpoints
Individuals and their vehicles will be chosen based on risk analysis
The border checks were reinstated for a period of 10 days
The duration of the new measure may be extended for a further period
Crossing borders is possible at 8 road border crossings:
As well as at 3 railroad border crossings:
There are also 11 pedestrian border crossings intended for EU citizens