A new 60 km stretch of the M30 motorway will connect the regional centre of Miskolc in Hungary to the Slovakian border town of Tornyosnémeti. The aim is to increase economic growth in the region while reducing journey times and traffic on existing public roads.
New section of M30 motorway between Hungary and Slovakia to boost growth, cut traffic
- 24 October 2019
The new section will have two lanes in each direction. It is designed for vehicles to travel at speeds of up to 130 km/h along a distance of 56.7 km between the two cities. It will contain 48 bridges, seven grade-separated junctions, three resting areas, one maintenance centre and an axle-load measuring station.
Another 2x2 lane section of the motorway – spanning 1.7 km and linking Tornyosnémeti and the Slovakian border – was completed in January 2018.
Together, the two sections are intended to strengthen the economic axis between Miskolc and Košice, a Slovakian city to the north of the border with Hungary.
Regional and international impact
Close to one million people live in this region and there has long been a demand for a motorway between the two cities. The M30 expansion project is expected to increase the region’s economic development. Over the last decade, several large international companies have chosen Miskolc as an investment location.
The M30 addition is part of a European transport network plan known as the "Via Carpathia" spanning seven countries and connecting the Baltic with the Black and Aegean seas.
The expanded motorway will connect the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and the Mediterranean corridor to the Ukrainian border. The M30 provides a direct connection between Hungary, the eastern parts of Slovakia and Poland, and further to Romania and Bulgaria. It strengthens the cohesion of Central and Eastern European countries with a previously missing north-south connection.
Jobs and fewer traffic jams
The improved access and construction of a better quality road network is expected to boost the competitiveness of the local towns and the region as a whole, offering enhanced infrastructure for businesses which, in turn, could lead to new jobs. Construction will involve local companies. Furthermore, the motorway is also aimed at improving international transit traffic.
The new section is expected to allow traffic to move faster, improve road safety and reduce accidents caused by congestion on previously used smaller roads. Journey times will be reduced, as will pollution from cars idling in traffic jams.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Expressway M30 Miskolc - Tornyosnemeti- Slovakian border” is EUR 840 917 954, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 552 616 950 through the “Integrated Transport” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Improving access to the TEN-T road network”.