Skip to main content

Breakthrough on Slovakia’s D1 tunnel near Zilina

Workers in Slovakia have broken through the first of two passages in a tunnel near Zilina as part of an 11km D1 highway project. Breakthrough of the second passage of the tunnel on the section Hricovske Podhradie-Lietavska Lucka will likely be in January. Around 80m are still to be bored, according to a report in the Slovak Spectator on-line newspaper. Zilina is in northwestern Slovakia, around 200km from the capital Bratislava and close to the Czech and Polish borders. Juraj Valent, head of the Na
December 12, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Workers in Slovakia have broken through the first of two passages in a tunnel near Zilina as part of an 11km D1 highway project.

Breakthrough of the second passage of the tunnel on the section Hricovske Podhradie-Lietavska Lucka will likely be in January. Around 80m are still to be bored, according to a report in the Slovak Spectator on-line newspaper.

Zilina is in northwestern Slovakia, around 200km from the capital Bratislava and close to the Czech and Polish borders.

Juraj Valent, head of the National Highway Company (NDS), said the section with its two tunnels and 11 bridges is scheduled for completion by October 2018. Cost is around €427 million, with money coming from the central government and the European Union.

Slovakia’s D1 motorway runs from the western border with the Czech Republic to the eastern border with the Ukraine, a 100km frontier amid remote forested areas. The government has been building and renovating the route since 1985 when a cross-country route was planned in earnest. The D1 also forms part of the European routes E50, E58, E75 E571.

Related Content

  • Slovakia highway tunnel project – tendering to restart
    June 5, 2019
    The tender process will restart in 2019 for Slovakia’s Visnové Tunnel project. The tunnel forms part of the D1 highway. Work was being carried out on the tunnel and highway stretch of the D1 connecting Lietavska, Lucka, Visnové and Dubna Skala by the contractors Salini Impregilo and Duha. However following a dispute with the Slovak national motorway company NDS, these two firms are no longer working on the project. Some stretches of the highway are near complete already but the tunnel still requires some wo
  • Slovakia to tap into the European Fund for Strategic Investment
    December 4, 2014
    The Slovak Finance Ministry has confirmed that it has earmarked two projects for which it will apply to the EU for funds from the newly created European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI). European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker recently announced the creation of the US$26.2 billion EFSI fund as part of EC's $388 billion three-year investment plan to boost Europe's struggling economy. The two projects for which Slovakia plans to apply for funds from EFSI are the completion of the construct
  • Slovakia; Bratislava approves road budget for 2016
    December 18, 2015
    The Slovak capital Bratislava has set aside €44.5 million for road construction and repairs during 2016. The road budget is part of next year’s general budget of nearly €281 million from which public transport will receive just over €70 million and integrated transport systems will get nearly €3 million. World Highways reported in June that controversy continues to surround a proposed D4 motorway bypass around Bratislava and what tunnel option under the Little Carpathian Mountains is the best value.
  • Slovakia: early 2017 restart for work on the Cebrat Tunnel
    May 27, 2016
    Roman Brecely, Slovakia’s transport minister, has said that construction of the 2km long motorway tunnel Cebrat near Ruzomberok could be resumed at the beginning of 2017. But the cost is expected to increase by around €100 million. He added that the government likely will seek European Union funding. Construction was halted a year ago over concerns about the possibility of landslides and other geological issues. For this reason, the tunnel route may alter and be an additional 1.5km longer. The tunn