Hungarian expressway to soon connect to Austrian A2 motorway

Another section of the S7 expressway in Austria has been completed. With only ten kilometers remaining, the Hungarian M80 expressway will be connected to the Austrian A2 motorway. The completion of the Austrian S7 expressway is planned for 2025.

The M80 expressway linking Körmend to the Austrian border at Rábafüzes was opened almost two years ago. The road is ready up to the Hungarian-Austrian border; however, from there, there is no continuation. Thus, after the border, the old roads have to be used in Austria, Nyugat.hu reports.

A2 motorway to be connected to Hungarian M80 expressway

The A2 motorway in Austria. Source: Wikimedia Commons/newsflash

The S7 expressway in Austria will link the A2 motorway and the Hungarian M80 expressway at Rábafüzes. Our Western neighbour has been planning and building the S7 expressway for some time. The S7 expressway’s tunnel at Rudersdorf was completed in early April last year, and the section between the A2 and Rudersdorf was finished by the end of the year.

Another section has now been completed. From Saturday, motorists will be able to use the expressway from the A2 all the way to Dobersdorf, orf.at reports. Dobersdorf is just ten kilometres from the Austrian-Hungarian border, which is all that is missing from the S7.

Austrian S7 expressway to be completed by 2025

The M80 expressway in Hungary. Source: Wikimedia Commons/Pan Peter12

Completion of the expressway is planned for 2025, which, at the current rate, is likely to be achieved. When the Austrian S7 expressway is completed, it can be linked to the Hungarian M80 expressway. What is more, it will also be linked to the M86, which is currently being planned and will connect to the M80. Like this, the Hungarian M86 expressway will be connected to the A2 motorway and the European motorway network.

Relatively new motorway closed in Hungary

As we reported earlier, the M30 motorway was opened two years ago. By now, cracks on it have become so bad that the operator has closed it for several months. The section was built by the Austrian Strabag, which was ordered by the Hungarian state to carry out the repairs.

It was only 2.5 years ago, in October 2021, that the section of the M30 was opened to traffic. A month ago, the motorway was closed with immediate effect, and the road construction company (Strabag) has been called upon by the operator, the Hungarian Concession Infrastructure Development Plc. (MKIF) to start the warranty repairs as soon as possible.

Cracks on the M30 motorway. The road will be closed at least until the middle of August. PrtSc: YouTube/nagyfelbontas

The restriction between the 33 Miskolc-North junction and the 40 Szikszó junction will be in force from 17 February to 17 August in both directions. This means that a large section of a relatively new motorway will be closed for half a year due to its catastrophic state.

László Szimicsku, communications director of MKIF, said that as operators, they had maintained traffic as long as possible. Still, the displacement had become so great that they had no choice but to close the road completely. A 100-150 metre wide section of the track is sunken due to the displacement of its structure. The latter is 10-12 metres of soil, Simicsku explained.

The M30 motorway was opened to traffic in October 2021. The project, which started in 2018, cost a total of HUF 200 billion (EUR 514 million), making it one of the largest projects of the previous EU cycle. The Hungarian state, the investor, called on the Austrian Strabag to carry out the warranty restoration works according to the schedule.

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