construction

Stunning sight: Ghost hotel in Visegrád, Hungary – PHOTO GALLERY

visegrád ghost hotel

Visegrád in the Central Hungarian region is famous among Hungarians and foreign tourists alike. The town’s castle, which consists of a lower castle and a citadel, is of great importance. In the Middle Ages, it was one of the most important residences of the Hungarian kings. Later, it was the site of the 1991 meeting of the Visegrád Group (V4). However, this article is about something that is a bit different: a ghost hotel in Visegrád.

The construction of the hotel started in 2006. However, the contractor left the site in autumn 2009, Sokszínű Vidék writes.

There are 230 rooms on 12 floors and a 32-metre high andesite rock in the lobby. The Visegrád hotel started life as a five-star hotel 17 years ago but has not been completed ever since.

The ghost hotel is still half-finished. Krisztián Borbély (Ambient Lights) recently took some breathtaking shots of the “haunted” building. The photos were made available to Daily News Hungary by the photographer: check them out below!

Photo gallery

Find Krisztián Borbély/Ambient Lights on Facebook HERE, and on Instagram HERE.

PHOTOS: Futuristic Danube Bridge to be built in Hungary

The new Danube bridge at Mohács

Even though Budapest’s southern districts could well use a new overpass to ease the intensifying burden of daily traffic, the government eventually decided to build that near Mohács, South Hungary. According to János Lázár, Hungary’s construction and investment minister, the bridge will be completed by the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mohács. That clash marked the end of the Medieval Hungarian Kingdom and the beginning of a 150-year-long Ottoman rule spread over more than a third of the country.

According to index.hu, the need for a new bridge on that segment of the River Danube became apparent years ago. László Palkovics, Hungary’s innovation and technology minister, already talked about building a new overpass near Mohács in the autumn of 2020. The project was then believed to start within 1.5-2 years. However, it did not kick off as the planning phase took longer than expected. The final plans were accepted only this January.

According to our information, the costs will exceed HUF 100 billion (EUR 267 million). Rumour has it the minister was about to abort the project. However, Lázár finally gave the green light this week. But there is one more hitch. The government aims to cover the costs with EU funds, but Hungary has not received a penny yet.

Even Orbán supported the new bridge project

PM Viktor Orbán talked about the bridge in his February State of the Nation speech, during which he mentioned the need for the unification of Pannonia and Hunnia, the eastern and western parts. Part of that would be building a new bridge over the Danube near Mohács.

Gábor Pávkovics, the mayor of Mohács, said there was a chance to finish the construction by the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mohács in 2026. Based on the Világgazdaság, the new bridge has been on the agenda for 30 years because currently, you can only cross the river by ferry. Thus, the new overpass could connect some of the most important southern regions and cities of Hungary.

According to the plans, the bridge will be 750 metres long. Its area will be 18,000 m2 and will have 2X2 lanes. There will be also a bike lane added as part of the EuroVelo system.

Construction, home renovation in Hungary? Now is the time!

construction-workers

The demand for construction materials has plummeted, with sales dropping by a third in both value and volume in May. The decline is worsening month by month, indicating a worrisome trend. Renovations are on the decline, and few new construction projects are being initiated. With the falling prices on the construction market, there has never been a better time to start building our new home or renovating the current one.

In the first five months, building materials traders experienced a sharp decline in turnover. The market declined by 24 percent compared to the previous year. Distributors reported a 32 percent decrease in sales and a 35 percent decrease in turnover in May. This growing backlog compared to the previous year is cause for alarm. However, there are no signs yet of the trend reversing, writes Világgazdaság.

Construction at all-time low

Attila Juhász, President of Új Ház Építőanyag Nagykereskedelmi Plc., expressed concerns about the building materials market’s development this year. Despite maintaining home-building subsidies, the population is not undertaking new constructions due to increased credit costs. New single-family housing has been hit hardest, with a 40 percent decline in orders.

According to data from New House (Új Ház), turnover declined by 22 percent in the first four months of the year. In May, this decrease was up to 24 percent. This indicates an accelerating pace of decline. In May alone, the year-on-year decline in value terms reached 32 percent, with volume sales dropping by 35 percent.

On the bright side, the ease of finding a contractor has improved, with average lead times halved. However, if order books remain low for an extended period, there is a risk of contractors migrating abroad. This, by fay, undermines the perceived benefits of the current situation for customers.

Pessimist outlook

Although there have been some price reductions in certain product areas, construction material prices are stagnating overall. Furthermore, there are no prospects for significant price reductions in the medium to long term, according to Juhász. The market, which experienced significant overheating due to home renovation subsidies last year, is now facing a more widespread downturn than anticipated.

Without intervention, the expert projects a further decline in the building materials market, with serious challenges for the construction industry and the entire supply chain. Building materials factories may even face closure.

The lack of major investments is being felt, although the impact on building materials distributors is less severe than in the residential market. Failure to stimulate renovation and construction for an extended period will make it more costly and challenging to revive the sector. Additionally, the number of detached houses under construction is gradually halving compared to the previous year, further impacting the revenues of Hungarian building materials retailers.

Hungarian real estate industry meets turning point: is there a way out?

construction-workers

The Hungarian construction industry is currently grappling with a major issue: insufficient demand for new homes. The data indicates that fewer people are interested in purchasing new homes, leading to a decline in investment and an increase in completed but unsold properties.

One notable trend is the rising number of completed homes that have yet to find buyers. This indicates a mismatch between supply and demand, with more properties being built without having an owner lined up. Although there have been some price reductions, they are impacting fewer homes, writes Pénzcentrum.

Lack of demand

Insufficient demand is the primary obstacle affecting domestic production, as indicated by the Hungarian central bank’s (MNB) Housing Market Indicator. The last time the situation was this bad was in 2020, during the economic difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although there are signs of improvement in the availability of raw materials, it may be due to fewer construction orders rather than an oversupply. The indicator for financial constraints has started to decline since February, but this may not necessarily mean that people have more money. Instead, it suggests that only those with sufficient financial means are initiating building projects.

Less construction and empty houses

The backlog of construction orders and the share of new orders have both shown a declining trend. Construction costs and house prices have also begun to slow down, although this does not imply a decrease in real estate prices.

Financial institutions are allocating less money to the building of new homes. In September 2022, customers were borrowing over HUF 10 billion per month for new home construction. However, by February 2023, this amount had fallen to under HUF 4 billion.

The MNB’s survey examined the statistics for new housing projects in Budapest, revealing a growing number of completed but vacant apartments in the capital. The countryside has experienced a similar trend, with a rising number of vacant apartments and unsold properties under construction.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Hungarian construction industry is facing the challenge of insufficient demand for new homes. This has led to an increase in completed but unsold properties and a decline in orders. The labour shortage in the industry has improved, but financial constraints remain a concern.

While some improvements have been observed in the availability of raw materials, it may be due to reduced demand rather than increased supply. The market for new homes has become more balanced, with a decreasing percentage of repriced properties having increased prices. However, the overall repricing rate remains low, and the construction industry continues to face significant challenges in the Hungarian housing market.

Do you want to get Hungarian castles for free? New bill makes that possible

Edelény Caste Island

A new bill allows construction and transport minister János Lázár to distribute the state’s castles. Lázár’s ministry may give the ownership or asset management rights of the monuments concerned to natural and legal persons, including even private individuals for free.

Furthermore, some of the castles Lázár’s ministry would like to “privatise” have been recently renewed. Válasz Online mentioned the castles of Edelény, Pécel and Iszkaszentgyörgy in their article. Lázár defended his idea by saying the Hungarian state is not a good owner. Only private or church owners can take care of those assets, he added.

The bill appeared on the ministry’s website, and the report stage ended on 2 June. If the parliament accepts it (and Lázár’s Fidesz had a supermajority in the Hungarian legislation), it will become law by 1 July. As a result, all state-owned castles can be privatised this summer.

Natural or legal persons (for example, private individuals, companies or churches) will be allowed to submit a plea to the minister for the castles’ ownership or asset management rights. In practice, everybody can get a castle who can maintain it. However, they cannot sell it for at least 99 years. If the asset management right owner breaks the contract, dies without an heir or ceases operation without a successor, the state gets back the castles.

Castle of Tura
Castle of Tura. Photo: FB/
BOTANIQ Turai Kastély / Castle of Tura
Halász Castle
Halász Castle, Kápolnásnyék. Photo: Facebook, Halász-kastély, Kápolnásnyék

Hungarian castles to be given away in shady deals?

Interestingly, the bill’s first draft had an annex listing the castles concerned. The new version does not include that document. There are 50 castles under Lázár’s ministry, 12 recently renovated.

Furthermore, the new owners will not have to open the castle buildings to the public, only the park (between 10 AM and 7 PM, for free). The castle has to remain open only if it hosts a public collection. That means there will be some castles with new owners who get that right for free, their only task will be to maintain, renovate and operate the buildings. But they will not have to allow any visitors. That means they may use the property as their own castle.

Válasz Online wrote that it would depend on deals between the new owner(s) and János Lázár who will get a castle and under what conditions. Since Fidesz has a 2/3rd majority, they can rewrite each law and modify the aforementioned conditions.

Featured image: the astonishing Baroque castle of Edelény. That asset is not concerned in the new “program” because it is no longer under Lázár’s ministery but belongs to the local government of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County.

PHOTOS: The world’s biggest Szekler Gate inaugurated in Sokorópátka

Szekler Gate Sokorópátka

The HUF 30 million (EUR 81 thousand) investment was financed entirely by private individuals’ donations. According to the organisers, it is now the greatest Szekler gate in the world. Check out some photos of its impressive size below.

According to kisalfold.hu, the initiative’s chief patrons were Cirill T. Hortobágyi, the abbot of Pannonhalma, and Csaba Böjte, a world-known Hungarian Franciscan monk. The inauguration of the Szekler gate took place on 3 June as the main event of a 3-day-long cultural and musical festival.

The gate and the park surrounding it were created with the help of individual donations and charity work. It now bears the title “The Gate of Sokoró”. Sokorópátka is a small village with a population slightly above 1,100 souls in the Transdanubia region, halfway between Pápa and Győr. Check the photos out below:

 

PHOTOS: Luxury 5-star hotel to be built at Lake Balaton

Balaton hotel Hungary

The brand new hotel at Lake Balaton will cost tremendous money. Estimates are at EUR 60.8 million now. Based on the plans, Le Méridien resort will open for guests in the spring of 2025. The five-star hotel will have 102 rooms. There will be a parking lot with 200 places, four restaurants and 24 luxury apartments. Furthermore, they will develop the infrastructure of the Balatonfüred port. Check out the visuals of the astonishing hotel below.

According to turizmus.com, the investment will cost around HUF 22.5 billion (EUR 60.8 million) in Balatonfüred, the jewel of the ‘Hungarian Sea’. The brand new building will recall the glow of the French Riviera in the 1960s. Its exterior was designed by the Fazakas Építésziroda, while 81Font designed its interior.

There will be outer and inside pools, a gym, a spa and a sauna park. The resort will be 3 thousand square metres. Apart from the restaurants, there will be a pool bar. The new hotel complex aims to serve business travellers and holidaymakers by having a South France Mediterranean atmosphere. As for the hotel interior and gastronomy, they will draw inspiration from Italy’s dolce vita.

Le Méridien Resort will be built in Balatonfüred thanks to a contract between Marriott International and Balaport Investment Ltd. It will be the first rural member of the hotel chain in Hungary. Silvija Lovreta, the development manager of Marriott International in the South and Eastern European region, said that their Hungarian portfolio has six hotels. That includes the Ritz-Carlton Budapest, the Budapest Marriott Hotel, the Matild Palace, and the Luxury Collection Hotel Budapest.

Hotel, port, luxury apartments at Lake Balaton

István Bóka, Balatonfüred’s mayor, highlighted the new resort would strengthen conference tourism in the city. He added that the area of the hotel will be open to the public. That means everybody will be able to visit its beach promenade. According to the plans, people will walk around the hotel by next summer.

The new resort will be the jewel of the most exclusive Lake Balaton development in the last few years, the BalaPort. They will build some beachside apartments near the hotel building, which they will sell. Furthermore, they are creating a 3,000-square-metre wellness compound. Furthermore, BalaPort will be the most modern port at the lake.

The project’s founder developed and operated, among others, the Bambara Hotel and the Shiraz Hotel. Moreover, they built the Minaro Hotel Tokaj, about which we wrote HERE, the BalaLand Hotel, FamilyPark and Residence at the South beach of the Balaton.

VIDEO: New Danube Bridge reached highest point

New Danube bridge

The new Danube bridge connecting Tolna and Bács-Kiskun Counties reached its topping-out point.

According to Magyar Építők, the new Danube bridge stretching 40 metres over the River Danube reached its highest point. The overpass will connect Kalocsa and Paks and is being built by Duna Aszfalt Zrt.

The steel and concrete bridge will be 1,133 meters long and attached to motorway M6. The 2×1 road on it would allow a 90 km/h traffic between the two Hungarian towns. Furthermore, the region will get a 25-km-long brand-new road system with new junctions, renovated junctions, allowing drivers to get from one point to the other faster. Moreover, the project involves the renovation of a 5-km-long road system. In 2020, we wrote that the building would last 26 months, so it should have been finished by now, so it seems they are behind schedule.

In THIS article, you may check out a visual how the new overpass will look after its completion. Here is a video about the project’s current state:

This is what the Budapest Chain Bridge may look like in the future

Budapest evening Chain Bridge Castle

With the renovation of Széchenyi Chain Bridge coming to an end, the capital’s municipal government has to make an important decision. They will have to rule whether to allow cars pass the bridge again, or restrict its use to passengers, cyclists, buses and taxis.

Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony has recently unveiled to the press how the surrounding area around the bridge will look like if citizens decide to ban cars from the bridge in the future. These changes will determine how the Clark Ádám and Széchenyi Squares will look like, as well as the neighbourhood of József Attila Street, writes Mfor.hu.

Széchenyi Square

This square is located on the Pest side of the Chain Bridge, in front of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA).

The mayor underlined the importance of the square in the development phase. He believes it to be in a state that is unworthy of its name, compared to other places in the city. It is also a source of danger, as tourists often cross the roundabout here recklessly without looking out for the passing traffic.

Balázs Grabner landscape architect reckons that the Danube shoreline around the square must be beautified. He plans to reintroduce the previous green spaces that used to occupy the area. He also added that they will create a larger space in front of MTA, to make it possible to bring the knowledge into the public and organise public events there.

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Source: Facebook/[Karácsony Gergely]
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Source: Facebook/[Karácsony Gergely]

Clark Ádám Square

Clark Ádám Square is situated on the Buda side of the bridge. The funicular which carries passengers up and down the castle hill is also located here.

Karácsony considers Clark Ádám Square to be the twin of Széchenyi Square. Zoltán Erő, the main architect of Budapest said that the roundabout here will be reduced in size, according to the plans.

Balázs Grabner reminded everyone how much residents loved the flowers planted inside the roundabout through the last decades. However, they would like to change this feature up now. The new pattern would mirror the rose glass motives of Matthias Church. Grabner also added that creating pedestrian walkways will play the main role in the planning of the square. A larger space would also be established around the foot of the funicular.

https://scontent-vie1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/347221912_563413262543670_7720704865286514267_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=4lnMq3HZZtwAX9KVkdQ&_nc_ht=scontent-vie1-1.xx&oh=00_AfBSIHfXY2oglkju4Wh9HU48D3SwDeKwyGcd_d656QegRg&oe=64673FED
Source: Facebook/[Karácsony Gergely]
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Source: Facebook/[Karácsony Gergely]

József Attila Street

This crucial street connects Széchenyi Square with Andrássy Street and thus plays an important role in the inner city’s transportation life.

According to the plans, the traffic coming from Széchenyi Square will be immediately directed towards József Attila Street. The street will be narrowed down while the walkway will be made wider. Cafés and restaurants will be able to use the newly freed up space to extend their terraces. They architects also plan to plant trees along the sidewalk to provide shade for the passers-by.

May be an image of 1 person and street
Source: Facebook/[Karácsony Gergely]
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Source: Facebook/[Karácsony Gergely]

Hungarian construction industry is suffering, the latest figures are out

construction

Output of Hungary’s construction sector slipped by 9.8 percent year-on-year in March, falling for the fourth month in a row, albeit at a slower pace, data released by the Central Statistical Office (KSH) on Monday show.

Output of the buildings segment dropped by 13.2 percent and civil engineering output edged down by 1.6 percent, KSH said.

In absolute terms, construction sector output reached 600.3 billion (EUR 1.6bn) forints in March. The buildings segment accounted for 66.8 percent of the total.

In a month-on-month comparison, construction sector output fell by 1.2 percent, adjusted for seasonal and workday effects.

Order stock was 27.9 percent lower at the end of March than twelve months earlier. Buildings segment orders were down by 9.0 percent and civil engineering orders declined by 39.4 percent.

New orders dropped by 31.8 percent during the period. New orders in the buildings segment declined 3.6 percent and new civil engineering orders plunged 54.1 percent.

In the first quarter, within the divisions of construction, prices increased the most in the greatest weight-carrying specialized construction activities (by 25.5%), and grew in the construction of buildings and in civil engineering by 23.8% and 22.0% compared to the same period of the previous year. The price increase was caused principally by the rising costs, especially the significant price hike of several building materials.

The first quarter’s construction prices were 4.8% higher than in the previous quarter.

As we wrote in April, Hungarian company would like to begin a new age in construction industry, details HERE.

Government allowed the construction of a battery plant in secret in Hungary?

Battery plant Hungary

Opposition LMP is turning to the foreign ministry to find out how many more battery factories the government is conducting negotiations on.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, LMP spokesman József Gál noted that Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Tuesday announced plans for another battery plant to be constructed in Debrecen, in eastern Hungary, to which the government provided subsidies of 14 billion forints. LMP believes it is unacceptable that after the battery plant to be built by CATL, which was rejected by the public, the government has “secretly agreed” on the construction of another battery plant in Debrecen, he said.

LMP will request information from the foreign ministry to find out how many more companies the government is negotiating with and where else they are planning to set up battery factories. LMP would also like to know “why the government is selling out the future, farmland, waters and healthy environment of Hungarians to Chinese multinational companies?”, Gál said.

Budapest Airport to expand long-haul flights and add new destinations

Budapest Airport passengers

Recently, there was a change of personnel at Budapest Airport. Kam Jandu, the previous chief commercial officer (CCO) has been promoted to the role of chief executive officer (CEO). He has replaced Chris Dinsdale, who spent two years as head of the company. The question arises: who is Jandu and what are his plans with the capital’s airport?

Jandu, having been employed in the field of aviation since the late 90’s, started his work at Budapest Airport in 2009 as an aviation director. Rising to the role of CCO in 2014, he took control of the enterprise in the middle of April after 14 years of experience. In a recent interview, we could get an insight of what to expect from him. He has a lot of knowledge in the industry, and even more ideas on how to make the airport prosperous, writes Aviation Week.

Long-haul expansion

One of the main promises of the new CEO is the rebuilding of the airport’s pre-covid capacities. These include bringing back investments into long-haul flights which previously departed from Budapest.

“The real focus for growth at this time is long-haul. We had Toronto, New York, Chicago and American Airlines’ hub at Philadelphia before the pandemic and we’d obviously really like them back,”

he said in the interview.

Jandu has plans not only in the west, but also in the eastern direction. His aims are to recover the two Chinese destination cities which the airport lost during covid. With these goals in sight, it’s only a matter of time until Budapest will be able to transfer passengers to the USA or China without connecting flights. This would be a huge feat for the company.

However, there are plans for expansion in Europe as well. Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Glasgow and Newcastle are all possible destinations Budapest Airport aims to establish flights to. Aviation ties with Great Britain are especially important, as the UK is the airport’s largest, most lucrative market.

Source: Budapest Airport – Kam Jandu, CEO of Budapest Airport

Infrastructural development

The expansion of the airport is not constrained only to the number of flight destinations. It will also mean expanding the capacity of passengers it can handle. Terminal 1, which has been closed since 2012, is expected to reopen in 2026. This renovation indicates an increase in the airport’s passenger count by over two million a year. This will make it possible to begin the construction of Terminal 3, which will start operations in 2030 according to current plans. It is prognosticated that this year, 14 million travellers will step foot at Budapest Airport. By 2024, this number will rise over the pre-pandemic levels of 16 million.

Balázs Bogáts will step into the now vacant shoes of Jandu as CCO. Having spent a decade at the now defunct Hungarian airline company, Malév, he joined the company back in 2011. All in all, the capital’s airport seems to be going towards a prosperous future in the current circumstances.

PHOTOS: Hungarian company would like to begin a new age in construction industry

Construction industry

Hungary is almost certain to break investment records in 2023, notwithstanding the difficult economic environment, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said at the inauguration of a reinforced concrete plant in Alsónémedi, near Budapest, on Thursday.

The 16 billion forint (EUR 42.5m) investment by Ineton, which will create 120 jobs by August, was supported by a 2.4 billion government grant. The construction sector has become one of the engines of Hungarian industry, with 12 percent growth in 2021. Production value has come close to 7,000 billion forints in 2022, four times higher than in 2010, he added. The sector employs more than 380,000 people, he said.

Read also:

It will be difficult to commute on Hungary’s two busy motorways from next Monday!

Hungary motorways renovation

It will be harder to drive on Hungary’s two busy motorways from tomorrow due to reconstruction works. The two lines concerned are M3 leading to Slovakia and Ukraine, and M7, leading to Lake Balaton and Croatia.

According to Világgazdaság, the reconstruction project will start on 300 kilometres on Monday. The operator, Hungarian Concession Infrastructure Development Plc. (MKIF), asks everybody to be informed before starting a journey.

Traffic diversion signs are being put out today in four segments of the M7 motorway and one segment on the M3. The work will start tomorrow on those five segments. In 2023, the plans involve the renovation of 297 kilometres and 2 million square metres of old, ageing pavement, 30 rest areas and several bridges on the M1, M3, M35 and M7 motorways.

The project “broke ground” on 12 April with dismantling the Letenye border crossing. That is because Croatia became a member of the Schengen Zone. That work will last for five weeks. Meanwhile, MKIF plans to renew 20 bridges near Balatonőszöd, Fonyód, Siófok and Zamárdi. Asphalting will start on the M7 motorway near Zalaszentjakab and the M3 motorway close to Nagyfüged.

The company drew the attention of drivers to www.utinform.hu, their website and social media site where they can find relevant information. They promised they will finish the work on M7 during the summer holiday.

Read also:

 

Hungary’s industrial production has fallen, but we are better at something

iváncsa battery factory sk

Industrial output in February eased by an annual 4.6 percent, but Output of Hungary’s construction sector fell by an annual 11.8 percent the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Thursday, quoting detailed data.

In a month-on-month comparison, output inched up a seasonally and workday-adjusted 0.3 percent.

Output of the automotive industry, Hungary’s biggest manufacturing sector, rose by 7.5 percent.

Export sales edged 2.0 percent lower, and domestic sales dropped 12.2 percent.

Read also:

Output of the buildings segment dropped by 8.8 percent and civil engineering output fell by 17.7 percent.

In a month-on-month comparison, construction sector output rose by 1.9 percent, adjusted for seasonal and workday effects.

The Hungaroring race track will be completely renewed by 2026

Formula One hungaroring hungary F1 2019

The government will support developments at the Hungaroring race track in Mogyoród, on the outskirts of the capital, state secretary for sport Ádám Schmidt said on Tuesday.

The upgrade is scheduled to be ready by the time Hungaroring hosts the 2026 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, Schmidt said.

The public procurement procedure for the project is planned to be called in the next 40-45 days, allowing construction to start in the autumn of 2024 and to be completed by the time the 2026 event gets under way, he added.

The upgrades are a condition for extending Hungary’s contract to host the F1 races from 2027 to 2032.

Fourth motorway between Hungary and Romania to be completed by 2030

Motorway vignette Hungary

An agreement has been made to complete the fourth motorway between Hungary and Romania in 2030, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Tuesday.

The planned motorway is part of an earlier agreement to build motorways linking the two countries every five years, Szijjártó said in a joint statement with Sorin Mihai Grindeanu, Romania’s deputy prime minister.

“We succeeded in 2015 and in 2020, and another success is being readied for 2025 to link the M3 motorway in Hungary with the road network around Satu Mare (Szatmárnémeti),” he said.

“Today we sealed the next success, for 2030, agreeing on a fourth motorway link,” he added.

The motorway between Budapest and Békéscsaba will be extended to the border, creating a link to the Romanian motorway network south of Salonta (Nagyszalonta), Szijjártó said.

Read also:

A border crossing point has been agreed upon and the people of Mehkerek, in south-east Hungary, are making preparations, he said.

Developing cooperation between Hungary and Romania is a priority strategic interest both to serve the ethnic Hungarian community and to broaden economic relations, he added.

Szijjártó said that bilateral trade exceeded 12 billion euros last year, a record-breaking figure, making Romania Hungary’s third largest export market.

“Developing cooperation is unimaginable without developing physical links between the two countries,” he added.

Grindeanu thanked Hungary for its support for Romania’s Schengen accession process. Commenting on the planned construction of a crossing station at the Hungarian-Romanian-Serbian triple border, he said the local authorities of Beba Veche (Obeba) supported the project.

Fidesz billionaire, one of Hungary’s richest, builds a stadium in Slovakia

tatabánya stadium

The reconstruction of the Komárom football stadium will start as early as May 2023, the local club announced on its Facebook page. The club reported that the contractor will have 15 months to complete the works. And this contractor is someone who might not be unfamiliar to Hungarians.

The Komárom football team is in third place in the Slovakian second division. The team is coached by Miklós Radványi, who has also held jobs in Hungary, Telex reports.

“We have been waiting for this day for a long time. The city of Komárom deserves a modern sports complex that meets the expectations of both professionals and the general public. I am glad that we have passed the very difficult stage of selecting the contractor,”

said György Baráth, President of FC Komárno.

“The renovation was hampered by several obstacles, including the fact that the club received the funds from the Hungarian government, but the stadium was owned by the municipality,” napunk.sk reports.

Now the obstacles have been removed. The EUR 11 million project was won by a consortium of five bidders, one of whose members is a company linked to the family of Lőrinc Mészáros, Fejér-B.Á.L. Építő és Szolgáltató Zrt. The company usually wins public procurement contracts in Hungary too, Telex adds.

Featured image: illustration

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