Hungary beats the whole of Central Europe with its motorway network
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Hungary has caught up with Austria in one crucial aspect, as it now boasts the most extensive motorway network in the region, although there remains room for improvements.
Hungary trails Austria
While Hungary’s economic development still lags behind that of Austria, our nation can take pride in its motorway infrastructure. According to the latest 2021 data from Eurostat, Austria has 1,749 kilometres of motorways, while Hungary has constructed 1,850 kilometres of dual highway.
Hungary has placed significant emphasis on infrastructure development in recent years, as reported by vg.hu. As a result, Hungary has not only surpassed Austria but also currently leads the entire region.
Is Hungary a motorway superpower?
Examining Hungary’s neighbouring countries, we find that Croatia has built 1,316 kilometres of motorways, Slovakia 849, Slovenia 616 and Romania 931.
These figures reveal that Central and Eastern Europe lags behind Western countries, a discrepancy that stems from economic and developmental disparities. The economic advantages of motorway construction are still debated in many places. However, it’s worth noting that developed Western European countries, such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, maintain motorway networks one and a half to two, or even three times denser than Hungary.
This article (with data to back up their purported facts) puts this “achievement” in an entirely different light:
https://www.europeandatajournalism.eu/cp_data_news/Hungary-spent-1-billion-euros-mostly-from-EU-funds-on-empty-motorways/
.. And thank you, dear European Union, for once again funding what our Politicians claim all the credit for!
This is a one-sided story. Besides the Motorways, the roads in towns are a disgrace as they are full of potholes.
Just look at Szombathely and the road leading from Austria into Szombathely by passing Koszeg is shameful as the local authorities failed to improve the road since time of communism. It smacks of slovenly thinking and total lack of efficiency by those responsible, and it leaves me sad to witness this slipshod behaviour here in Hungary.
It makes one wonder what do the Austrians think of the Hungarians, as the roads in Austria in comparison are faultless.
Now, let’s talk about Hungary’s trains . . .
The original source for this article is in Hungarian!
https://g7.hu/adat/20220630/a-rezsivedelem-aranak-duplajat-szorta-el-a-kormany-felesleges-autopalyakra/