Funding from the EU has made it possible to carry out the second phase of the development of three sections of Hungary’s M85 and M86 motorways. The roads link the cities of Szombathely and Győr in the Western Transdanubia region and also create a bypass around the town of Csorna.
- 28 August 2017
The implementation of the project was divided into two phases. The work has involved both the construction of roads and their upgrading to the standards required for motorways.
The sections of road covered under the project total 87.546 km in length. Of this, 68.3 km form part of the Trans-European Network.
For both phases, the project budget totalled around EUR 747. 8 million, of which around EUR 69.9 million was for the total eligible cost for the second phase. The EU’s financial contribution to phase two was close to EUR 55 million.
Improved infrastructure in Western Transdanubia
The motorways will improve the standard of road infrastructure in Western Transdanubia and strengthen connections for both inter- and intra-regional traffic. This will increase accessibility and reduce the risk of accidents.
In addition, by cutting traffic congestion, the development will help to shorten journey times and lighten the burden of road transport on the environment. All of these factors will benefit local people and industry, as well as tourists and transit traffic.
The M85 currently runs from the junction with the M1 – which links Budapest with Vienna – at Győr to Csorna. It is planned to extend it to the city of Sopron, and from there to the Austrian border. The M86 goes from Szombathely to Csorna and should eventually be extended to Mosonmagyaróvár, close to both the Austrian and Slovak borders. The two roads form part of European Route E65 which begins in Malmö in Sweden and ends in Chaniá on the Greek island of Crete.
A transport corridor across Central Europe
The Rhine-Danube Corridor, within which much of the road covered by the project is located, connects the regions around Strasbourg and Frankfurt with southern Germany, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and the Black Sea. It also includes a branch linking Munich with Prague, the Slovak cities of Žilina and Košice and Slovakia’s border with Ukraine.
With a population of nearly 80 000, Szombathely is Hungary’s 10th largest city and the administrative centre of Vas county. Founded by the Romans in AD 45, it is thought to be the oldest city in Hungary.
Located halfway between Budapest and Vienna, Győr is the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron County and of the entire Western Transdanubia region. Its 130 000 inhabitants make it the country’s sixth biggest city.
A town of 10 000 people, Csorna is situated close to Fertő-Hanság National Park. The park covers 235.88 km² and was opened in 1991 together with the neighbouring Neusiedler See National Park in Austria. Both parks are situated on the shores of Lake Neusiedl or Fertő, one of the largest lakes in Central Europe.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Development of the Szombathely – Csorna – Győr sections of M86-M85 motor roads – Phase II” is EUR 89 102 439, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 54 896 284 through the “Integrated Transport” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.