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Unexpected announcement: M1 Budapest-Vienna motorway will become three-lane!
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The government recognised that the capacity of the two-lane motorway is no longer enough for the increased traffic present every day. However, only a shorter segment will become a three-lane between Budapest and Bicske.
The decision is surprising because, after the 2022 landslide victory of Orbán’s Fidesz, the government announced they would scrap most of the construction and development projects concerning the Hungarian infrastructure. Therefore, they cancelled the extension of the M1 motorway connecting Budapest with Vienna, which is Hungary’s most important road.
According to hvg.hu, that changed yesterday. The Orbán cabinet revised the contract they signed with the government-close LÅ‘rinc Mészáros and László SzÃjj-owned Magyar Koncessziós Infrastruktúra-FejlesztÅ‘ Ltd. (MKIF). MKIF maintains and builds Hungary’s motorways after winning the relevant application in 2022. The business is profitable and may result in an income of billions of euros for the owners.
The government said they postponed or even cancelled some infrastructure developments in 2023 due to the economic crisis. However, they acknowledge that the M1 motorway is one of the main arteries of the Hungarian economy, so its development is a must.
Is the real reason for this construction that Orbán wants to get faster to Felcsút?
You only need the third lane in the westbound direction for all the young Hungarians who just want to leave Orbanistan.
It’s a necessary development and, frankly, long overdue, but the widening is also required much further west, arguably all the way to Hegyeshalom. Granted, start with this part but the aspiration needs to be to have a 3-lane road to the border as the traffic volumes will keep swelling. Unfortunately, due to the aggressive behaviour of (mainly) Hungarian registered cars, it has become decidedly unpleasant to drive on the M1 at virtually any time other than the middle of the night. Even then you have high speed hussars who feel entitled to attempt to vapourise you with their high beam headlights for having the temerity to overtake others while travelling at the speed limit. Combined with the expensive toll charge I prefer to take an extra hour and save the toll fee by driving on road 1 between Budapest and Hegyeshalom, preserving my nerves in the process.