Two sections of motorway, totalling 25 km in length, between Tábor and Veselí nad Lužnicí in the Czech Republic's South Bohemian Region have been constructed with EU financing. They are to form part of the D3 motorway, which will provide a high speed road connection between the Czech capital, Prague and the Austrian motorway network. It will also complete a modern motorway link from Germany to Austria across the Czech Republic.
- 24 November 2016
Along with another stretch of road of around 21 km, the sections of motorway built under the project are the first part of planned 148 km of the D3 motorway to be constructed. These are four-lane dual carriageways and include 23 motorway bridges and five grade-separated junctions. At these junctions roads of different heights intersect.
Work started in October 2008 and ended in June 2013 on the sections between Tábor and Veselí nad Lužnicí. Long-distance and local traffic has now been diverted away from the existing road I/3, significantly improving safety.
Better conditions for tourism and transit
Better road connections have increased the attractiveness of South Bohemia – a region with a population of 638 000 — for recreation and tourism. Completion of the D3 as a whole should significantly improve conditions for transit of freight and passengers between different parts of Europe via the Czech Republic.
Of the two sections built under the project, one runs from Tábor to Soběslav and is almost 16.3 km in length, of which over 1.3 km is on two bridges. Two new grade-separated junctions have been constructed and another has been rebuilt.
In all, 14 motorway bridges have been built across the section, totalling in excess of a kilometre in length. Eight anti-noise walls have been put up, as has a 5 metre-high, 575 metre-long embankment. Almost 6 km of existing roads have been relocated to make way for the new road.
The other section is from Soběslav to Veselí nad Lužnicí and is over 8.7 km long, of which 1.4 km in length is on nine motorway bridges. Also two new grade-separated junctions have been constructed. This section has also seen relocation of close to 6 km of existing road, while two anti-noise walls have been built.
Big savings from faster transport links
The project should lead to time savings in road transport worth EUR 711 million a year, according to estimates.
Operation, maintenance and repair of the motorway is the responsibility of the Road and Motorway Directorate, a state-subsidised body managed by the Ministry of Transport through the Centre for Road Administration and Maintenance in Chotoviny u Tábora. These centres are funded by the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFTI).
The Road and Motorway Directorate also operates the motorway toll system in the Czech Republic. Tolls provide income for the SFTI and go into operation and maintenance of motorways. They thus help to finance the sections between Tábor and Veselí nad Lužnicí.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “D3 Motorway Tábor - Veselí nad Lužnicí” is EUR 560 264 608, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 343 482 569 through the “Transport” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period.