M3 to be widened to six lanes between Gödöllő and Gyöngyös

Minister of Construction and Transport János Lázár announced several developments in Eger on Thursday, after a workshop with the city's new mayor, Ákos Vágner. At a press conference following the meeting, the minister spoke about the renewal of the M3 motorway, the continuation of the renovation of Eger Castle and the modernisation of railway lines.

M3 to be completely rebuilt

He explained that a large-scale road rehabilitation programme is being launched for the north-eastern Hungarian region: the reconstruction of the M3 motorway. The minister said that in the coming years the government, in consortium with its operator, will have the motorway completely rebuilt. The primary objective of the reconstruction work currently under way is to eliminate the risk of accidents, as the M3 is in a very poor state. The motorway is due to undergo a 100 billion forint upgrade by 31 August 2025.

The M3 motorway will be built as a six-lane motorway from the Gödöllő junction with the M31 to the town of Gyöngyös at a cost of around HUF 420 billion, he said, indicating that the project will start in the next period and will last for a long time.

The Eger bypass section of the main road 25 may also be built

He also said that the municipality of Eger and the government will conclude a new 10-year cooperation agreement for the development of Eger Castle, as a first step of which the Ministry will provide one billion forints by 31 December so that the development of the castle can be restarted", the Minister said.

He said that the construction of bypass 25 could also start, which will be 16.5 kilometres long and cost 100 billion forints. A consensus has been reached to route the road as far away as possible from the residential area on the eastern side, and an environmental permit has been obtained as of 21 June this year. "The ministry is responsible for completing the plans, it will cost one and a half to two billion forints. This will be provided by the transport ministry," he said.

Rail upgrades aim to improve the Budapest-Eger direct rail link

The current road 25 through the city will be upgraded in 2025, and the four roads leading into the city - Egerbakta, Noszvaj, Andornaktálya and Egerszalók - will be upgraded in 2026.

The minister also announced the modernisation of the railway line: the renovation of the section between Füzesabony and Eger and Hatvan and Füzesabony will cost HUF 135 billion, which will mean a reduction of about 20 minutes in the Eger-Budapest route.

"A tourist destination such as Eger deserves a direct rail link between Budapest and Eger, if a railway line with the right capacity is built. This, of course, requires the modernisation of the railway," said János Lázár.

Expansion of the Eger industrial park among the goals

He pointed out that major changes are also planned in local and intercity transport, as Volán will be given the opportunity to operate a road bus service for 10 years, which will also ensure the renewal of the entire bus fleet. "The modernisation of the railways will be slower due to technical reasons and vehicle procurement, but the renewal of the 5,800-strong fleet will be faster," he said.

It was also mentioned that the Eger industrial park cannot accommodate any more businesses, so they are looking at how the 10 hectares of land that MÁV has here could be taken over by the city.

The swimming pool, designed by Imre Makovecz, costs HUF 300 million a year to maintain. János Lázár said that they were ready to look into the possibility of the state taking it over "as a Makovecz legacy". The facility is currently in a poor state because Makovecz buildings require special care and attention, which has been lacking in recent years," the minister added.