New regional motorway vignette and major road developments announced in Hungary!
The Hungarian government has announced significant transport infrastructure projects: alongside the expansion of the M1, M7 and M3 motorways, a new discounted regional motorway sticker will also be introduced from 2026. The decades-long program will be carried out by MKIF (Magyar Koncessziós Infrastruktúra Fejlesztő Plc.) using its own funds and loans.
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Discounted regional sticker from 2026
In connection with the renovation of the M1 motorway, a new toll category will be launched. The regional sticker will cost HUF 15,000 (EUR 39) per year for motorcycles, passenger cars and trailers, while larger D2 category vehicles will need to pay HUF 30,000 (EUR 77), Blikk reports (for more information on toll categories, see the end of the article).
Importantly, the vignette will be available to anyone, not only to residents of the affected counties – Pest, Fejér, Komárom-Esztergom, and Győr-Moson-Sopron. The new permit will be valid for the entire M1 motorway, offering drivers a cheaper alternative during the reconstruction period.
The M1 motorway to become six lanes wide
The largest-scale development will take place on the M1 motorway, where preparatory work is already underway. The 78-kilometre section between the M0 ring road and the Concó rest area at the 94th kilometre will be widened to 2×3 lanes. In addition, intelligent emergency lanes will be created in certain sections. These lanes can be opened to traffic when necessary, for example, in the case of accidents, roadworks or heavy congestion.
Construction schedule
According to the construction schedule:
- The section between the M0 and Bicske will be completed by August 2028.
- The expansion up to the Concó rest area will be finished by August 2029.
- The section leading to the Austrian border at Hegyeshalom will be developed in a later phase.
During the works, motorists will face several years of restrictions, narrowed lanes, and reduced speed limits.
Further expansions and new expressways
Following the M1, both the M7 and M3 motorways will also be widened in the coming years. In addition, between 2025 and 2034, a total of 279 kilometres of new expressways are planned to be built across Hungary.
The overall cost of the program could reach several hundred billion forints (hundreds of millions of euros), with the primary goal of managing growing traffic volumes and improving road safety.
What do the motorway sticker categories mean?
- D1M: motorcycles
- D1: passenger cars (up to 7 seats and a maximum permitted weight of 3.5 tons), including cars with trailers
- D2: larger passenger vehicles (more than 7 seats) and trucks up to 3.5 tons
- U: trailers towed by D2 category vehicles
The new regional sticker will be available for all categories, starting at HUF 15,000/year (D1M, D1, U) and HUF 30,000/year (D2).