Hungary is preparing a major new freight corridor towards Serbia, with the Hercegszántó–Bački Breg border crossing set for a full reconstruction that would allow heavy lorries to cross around the clock.
The Hungarian government has approved the full reconstruction of the Hercegszántó–Bački Breg border crossing, aimed at easing chronic congestion at Röszke and creating a new route linking Serbia with southern Hungary and the M6 motorway, Transport and Investment Minister Dávid Vitézy announced on Sunday.
According to the minister, the Transport and Investment Ministry is expected to launch the public procurement procedure for construction in the coming weeks.
The project would significantly expand the role of Hercegszántó in cross-border traffic. At present, international heavy goods vehicles can cross the Hungarian–Serbian border only at Röszke and Tompa, while Röszke regularly struggles with several-kilometre queues. Vitézy said as many as 30,000–40,000 vehicles a day pass through Röszke during peak periods.
Heavy lorries to get a new route between Hungary and Serbia
Once the reconstruction is completed, Hercegszántó will also be able to handle heavy goods vehicles. Plans include separate lanes for lorries and buses, greater capacity for passenger cars, a parking area for around 40–42 trucks, and facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. Heavy freight traffic would be accommodated on a continuous, 24-hour basis.
There is an important distinction for travellers: Hercegszántó–Bački Breg is not a completely new border crossing. Hungary’s tax and customs authority currently lists it as operating 24 hours a day for international passenger traffic and freight vehicles with a maximum permissible weight of 3.5 tonnes.
The reconstruction will therefore primarily transform the existing crossing into a major heavy-freight route.
Vitézy said the development had already been approved years ago by the previous government, but construction did not proceed because funding was not provided. Plans and the necessary permits are already available, according to the minister.
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New corridor could take pressure off Röszke and the M5
According to Vitézy, the upgraded crossing could eventually create a new transport corridor linking Vojvodina with southern Hungary and the M6 motorway via the new Mohács bridge. In the longer term, the route could take some traffic away from Röszke, as well as from the heavily used M5 motorway and the southern section of Budapest’s M0 ring road.
Development is also taking place on the Serbian side of the border. Serbia is working on the “Smile of Vojvodina” expressway, with the first 22.8-kilometre section planned between Bački Breg and Sombor. The section is expected to be completed within roughly two years, although the wider expressway project will take considerably longer.
The combination of the Serbian expressway, the upgraded border crossing and improved connections towards the M6 could eventually provide an alternative north–south route for freight travelling between the Balkans and Hungary.
Government scales back part of connecting road project
The border upgrade also forms part of a wider debate over road development around Mohács.
Vitézy said that even with the new Serbian connection, traffic forecasts do not justify building the entire corridor as a 2×2-lane road. He pointed out that Serbia is not a member of the European Union and would likely remain outside the Schengen Area for some time even after eventual EU accession, meaning border controls themselves would continue to limit traffic capacity.
The government therefore plans to redesign parts of the route between Main Road 51 and Mohács as a 2×1-lane road, with the money saved redirected towards other transport investments, road renovations and the border crossing itself.
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