In Slovakia, two new sections of highways will be opened

    BRATISLAVA - Motorists in Slovakia will soon start driving on two new sections of highways. The construction company Doprastav will open a nearly four-kilometer section of the highway from the Bratislava Port Bridge towards the borders with Hungary and Austria on Saturday. On Friday, December 9, traffic will begin on the section Ladce - Sverepec on the highway from Bratislava to Žilina. The length of the continuous highway from the Austrian border to the north will thus extend to 172 km.
    Another part of the city ring road should speed up the transit through the Petržalka housing estate. After the completion of the Sitina tunnel in the western part of Bratislava, scheduled for April 2007, it will be possible to drive across the Slovak capital from the Czech Republic to Hungary or to the Slovak interior via the highway.
    The new Bratislava section of the highway is nearly four kilometers long. Doprastav had to deal with groundwater here. Nine wells drain it into a nearby blind branch of the river.
    For the final completion of the construction, it is still necessary to lay a drainage asphalt carpet on part of the section, which is designed to drain water from the roadway. Its covering requires warmer weather. The construction company is expected to complete some road connections in the next six months. There is also a missing footbridge near the Artmedie football stadium, the construction of which has been delayed due to unresolved property relations.
    The highway section Ladce - Sverepec is among the most challenging in terms of construction. Of the nearly ten kilometers of highway, more than seven kilometers consist of bridges, including those serving side roads. The highest bridge rises 35 meters above the ground, while the longest bridge measures 917 meters.
    The entire highway from Bratislava to Žilina was to be completed by next year at the latest. The government promised this to the car manufacturer KIA Motors, which is building a new factory near Žilina. However, the Ministry of Transport admitted this year that the highway link will be completed only in 2007.