The Czech highway network, which is currently approximately fourteen hundred kilometers long, is not expanding at a very fast pace, with a few exceptions. During the years with the greatest momentum, public road managers handed over a significant number of new kilometers. However, this year will be the most outstanding in this regard, as the total number of kilometers opened will exceed one hundred. Most of the new stages will be delivered in the week leading up to the Christmas holidays. The management of the Ministry of Transport wants to maintain this high pace next year. To this end, the Czech Road Administration Institute (ŘSD) can operate with a record budget of 80.7 billion crowns. "For example, the construction of the D35 highway, which is currently the country's largest project under implementation, can continue. By the end of the year, a 64-kilometer section connecting the Czech Republic and Moravia will be under construction at the same time. The entire infrastructure can be completed by 2033. It is necessary to maintain the pace in the future as well, because if the network is not completed quickly, competitiveness will decrease, which will also affect the public finances," said Martin Minister Kupka. Easier route to the south The longest open section of the year will be on the D4 highway, which connects Příbram and the city of Písek. The 32-kilometer stretch is unique as it is the first project to be implemented through a public-private partnership. The Via Salis consortium not only built the section, but also operated it for 28 years.
According to the contractors' promise, motorists will feel the difference between the quality of public and private highways. During use, they will be quieter and smoother, thanks to the modern asphalt technology, which was not typical in the country until now. The grand opening is scheduled for December 17. This week, another 28 kilometers will be added to the D3 motorway in southern Bohemia, with approximately 20 kilometers of the Českých Budějovic ring road. The handover will take place at an unusual time, Saturday, December 21. "This stage is so special for the Czech Republic that it deserves a peaceful handover so that everyone can enjoy it," Radek Mátl, director of ŘSD, said in a podcast. New highways in Moravia On Thursday, December 19, the 21-kilometer section of the D55 highway from Huszt through Uherskohradistě to Bzenc will be opened. However, the last four kilometers can only operate in one lane for the time being due to unfinished works. The new sections also connect Uherské Hradiště to the motorway network. Originally, the opening of the approximately 17-kilometer section of the D49 highway between Hulín and Fryšták was also included in the plans by the end of the year.
However, the construction was delayed because the court ruled in favor of the ecological activists and revoked the building permit due to some impact assessment problems. At the turn of November and December, the Minister of Transport partially modified and confirmed the permits, so they came into effect again. According to the spokesperson of the Road Administration, Jan Rýdl, about nine and a half kilometers from Hulín to Zahnašovice will be operated on this section this year. The rest will be available until Fryšták next year. Free only for a short time Motorists can use the newly opened motorway sections for free for a while before the electronic sticker becomes mandatory. The Ministry of Transport plans to reward them from January 1, 2025. New road sections such as the D3, D4, D49 and D55 will be included in the updated list of toll road sections submitted by the ministry. These include sections that are expected to open only in the first half of next year. Only the ten-kilometer Budějovice ring road of the D3, which is not planned to be treated as a prize due to pressure from the Jihočeský krai and the city. "We will first assess the impact of the handover on the city's traffic situation. In connection with this, we are planning a traffic study to find out how many vehicles use only these sections," says the justification that accompanies the update of the tariff.
