Hungary's biggest motorway upgrading programme is underway

By May this year, Magyar Koncessziós Infrastruktúra Fejlesztő Zrt. had replaced more than 100 kilometres and 870,000 square metres of damaged pavement with new asphalt on the roads it manages. According to figures supplied to this newspaper, work has already been completed on 33 sections of 5 different motorways (M1, M3, M7, M30 and M35) across the country.

Nearly 20 bridges on the M7 alone have been renewed in the last two months

During the work that began in mid-March this year has seen a total of five sections of the M7 motorway renovated over a distance of 40 kilometres. These projects involved a significant amount of structural renovation, with MKIF Zrt. also renovating 18 bridges.

It's important to add that, as last year, there will be no planned works on the M7 between Budapest and Lake Balaton during the holiday period. There will be plenty of the latter this year: on this motorway alone, more than 1 million square metres are scheduled to be resurfaced by MKIF Zrt.

Here are the five renewed sections of the M7:

• Between Balatonaliga and Siófok, 8 km,
• 6.5 km in the Kőröshegy area,
• Near Balatonszemes and Balatonlelle at 5.3 km,
• In the area of Sávoly (near the Balatonring in Sávoly) 2 km
• Between Petrivente and Letenye (not far from the Croatian border), 8.4 km of levelling took place.

The M3 motorway was also renewed in the areas of Füzesabony, Polgár and Nyíregyháza

Most of this year's renovations have been on the M3 motorway, where a total of eight sections have been renovated since spring, covering 360,000 square metres. In addition, six bridges have been renovated so far this year, including the bridge over the Debrecen-Füzesabony railway line and the bridge over the 3324 road in the Polgár area.

We show you the works completed on the M3 in spring:

• 6 km between Füzesabony and Szihalom;
• the latter between Szihalom and Mezőkövesd over 8 km;
• At Szentistván, Mezőkeresztes and Hejőpapi, all at 0.5 km;
• 8.5 km between Mezőkeresztes and Gelej;
• 10 km between Polgár and Görbeháza;
• In the area of Kálmánháza (near Nyíregyháza), 4.5 km of the road were upgraded.

A total of nine motorways will be upgraded this year

The M35 motorway, the eastern continuation of the M3, was also affected by the spring road renovations:

• 5.3 km near Debrecen-Józsa;
• 1.4 km and 1.3 km of the Debrecen-Ondód exit were worked on.

Although the upgrade of the M1 motorway has been the main focus for 2023, work was already underway to a lesser extent this spring:

• 7 km between Bábolna and Bőny;
• 0.9 km between Bicske and Óbarok;
• and minor levelling work was carried out in the areas of Tata, Kisigmánd and Győr.

This year, MKIF is scheduled to replace at least 350,000 square metres of damaged pavement on the M1 with new asphalt, if necessary in several layers. (A lane km means that the outer and inner lanes on both sides of a kilometre of motorway will be renewed - editor's note) In addition, as last year, MKIF Zrt. is organising the work so that there are no planned works on the M1 during the peak transit period in August.

According to the MKIF Zrt. schedule, a total of nine motorways will be resurfaced in 2024, with work on the M1, M3, M7, M30 and M35, as well as various sections of the M4, M8, M15 and M70.

The motorway network is at a different level in several respects

The interventions are part of a comprehensive programme that started last year as Hungary's biggest ever motorway upgrade. In the so-called "levelling up", 538 kilometres will be affected over three years between 2023 and 2025.

The levelling process is being carried out in line with a longer-term strategic goal, which is also included in the concession agreement concluded with the Hungarian state (MKIF Zrt.). CEO Tamás Németh reported on this in detail in a major interview with our newspaper in the winter of 2022. rel="noopener">in an extensive interview with our newspaper CEO Tamás Németh reported in detail. According to this, expressways that are currently at different technical levels in several respects must be brought to the same level. Overall, the 1,237 kilometres of expressways taken over by MKIF Zrt. in 2022 will require some work at 43% in order to achieve a uniform level, as we learned from Tamás Németh at the time.

Last year's pace is maintained this year

In the first year of the resurfacing, 2023, 3.6 million square metres of worn-out old pavement will be replaced, using half a million tonnes of asphalt. This means that 19 percent of the entire main line was renewed last year, as well as 106 bridges and overpasses. Another fifth of the main line is expected to receive new asphalt this year, covering some 3.9 million square metres. At the same time, a further 110 bridges and flyovers could be resurfaced in 2024.

This year, the levelling work may also affect rest areas and junction slip roads, so temporary closures of rest areas and junctions may be expected in some places. The company will inform travellers in advance and in a timely manner about the new works starting each week on ÚTINFORM, its own website and Facebook page.