A new section of the D3 dual carriageway motorway is under construction near Žilina in northern Slovakia, between the junctions at Strážov and Brodno. It is 4.25 km long and connects the sections of the D3 running from Hričovské Podhradie to Strážov and Brodno to Kysucké Nové Mesto.
- 31 March 2017
The D3 Žilina, Strážov-Žilina, Brodno project is part of the motorway system comprising the D1 and D3 motorways. This road links the Slovak capital, Bratislava with the cities of Trenčín, Žilina and Skalité, and also provides transport links between Slovakia and the Czech Republic and Poland to the north, and Hungary and Austria to the south.
Around 2.25 km of the new section of the D3 is taken up by the Považský Chlmec tunnel. A further 1.9 km is a viaduct, while a bridge over a minor road and the River Kysuca connects the motorway with road I/11.
Retaining walls and noise-protection
Another element of the project is the construction of retaining walls with a totalling approximately 62.4 m in length. The motorway is also equipped with noise-protection barriers extending over 1.09 km.
The location is a challenging one for road building, as evidenced by the fact that only 90 m of the new section is on ordinary road, the rest being either tunnel or viaduct. Beginning at the Žilina-Strážov junction, the viaduct crosses two existing roads, a sewage collector, an aqueduct, the Bratislava-Žilina railway, a pond, a reservoir and the bottom edge of a hill.
The viaduct is designed to respect relevant vertical clearance requirements in relation to the structures over which it passes. The tunnel is double tube, with two lanes in each tube for one-way traffic. It meets the latest safety standards and recommendations and will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
A link to international borders
The D3 motorway relieves existing single carriageway roads and leads towards the borders with the Czech Republic and Poland. It has a junction with the D1 at Hričovske Podhradie, to the west of Žilina, from where the D1 continues eastwards, via Prešov and Košice, to the Slovak-Ukrainian border.
As well as being part of the Trans-European Transport Network, the new section of road serves as a bypass around Žilina and represents a substantial improvement to north-south transport links outside of the built-up area. It should cut journey times by an average of three minutes, while also contributing to reducing accidents.
By improving Slovakia's links with neighbouring countries, the D3 facilitates free movement of goods across the EU and benefits local inhabitants and international road users. It thus has the potential to have a significant impact on the development of Žilina and the entire region.
The project is also partially self-financing through the collection of motorway tolls.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “D3 Žilina, Strážov - Žilina, Brodno, I. phase” is EUR 243 654 939, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 201 721 916 through the “Transport” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period.