Photos: the newest Hungarian-Slovak border bridge will be opened soon

There are several border bridges between Hungary and Slovakia, making it easier to cross the Danube or the River Ipoly. Now, a new river crossing is being built between Ipolydamásd in Hungary and the Hungarian-majority Slovak town of Helemba, and work has reached a new milestone.

The Ipoly became a natural border between the two countries, and by the 1950s only four of the 47 bridges that used to exist had survived.

In 2000, a flood swept away the bridge at Ipoly Damascene, ending the crossing between the Hungarian communities on both banks of the river. The bridge, which is a joint project of NIF National Infrastructure Development Ltd. and Nitra County Municipality, is being built by Colas Transport Construction Ltd., while the two roads on either side are being built by Colas Road Ltd. and Colas Slovakia.

The bridge will have a total length of 71 metres and will cross the Ipolys with a single opening.

The load test of the bridge will be feasible once the access roads connecting to the project are completed. A 540-metre long road will be built on the northeast side of the river and a 175-metre long road on the southwest side. The Új Szó quotes József Balkó, head of the Nitra county transport department, as saying that the asphalting of the access road to Helemba will be completed by mid-November or by the end of the month at the latest. Gergely Izrael, the mayor of Helemba, told the newspaper that the asphalt of the old road was currently being milled on the ground, and the access road would join the main road at the church in Helemba.

Once the access roads are completed, the bridge will be load tested, but pedestrians and cyclists are already using the crossing. The bridge will not be used for heavy goods traffic, as only vehicles not exceeding 3.5 tonnes will be allowed to cross

The Eurovelo 6 international cycle route will also cross here.

A total of six crossing points are planned between Hungary and Slovakia by 2023. In addition to the three bridges over the Ipoly River, a cycling bridge will be built over the Danube, and a ferry and road link will be constructed, Magyar Építők reports.

The new Helemba-Ipolydamásd bridge will be opened in the first quarter of 2023.