At last, a motorway will link Debrecen and Nyíregyháza

Debrecen and Nyíregyháza, the two economic hubs of Eastern Hungary, have hitherto lacked a direct, high-speed link capable of handling heavy traffic. A design contract has been awarded for the expansion and partial replacement of the overloaded Main Road 4 to FŐMTERV Mérnöki Tervező Zrt. Under the conditional public procurement contract, one of Hungary’s most established engineering firms will have 1,083 days and 3.4 billion forints at its disposal to prepare the planning and construction drawings for the north-south axis connecting the two cities.

There is a high demand for it

The winning bidder, Főmterv, has been tasked with designing a 2×2-lane road link between Debrecen and Nyíregyháza, running partly along a new route, which will provide a high-capacity, safe road connection between the economic zones of the two regions.

As a first step, the preliminary design and the environmental impact assessment for the route have been completed, and the environmental permit has also been issued. The current public procurement process therefore relates to the preparation of the detailed designs.

New four-lane road

The task of Főmterv will be to prepare the planning and detailed design documentation required for the construction of a continuous 2×2-lane road link approximately 35 km in length – comprising 10 km of existing road and 25 km of new alignment.

The section affected by the development runs from the junction of Road 354 – the planned Debrecen Eastern Bypass – to the junction of Main Road 4 and the M3 motorway, with six grade-separated junctions and associated sub-junctions, as well as three two-lane roundabouts and 19 engineering structures; in accordance with the specifications for a 2×2-lane primary trunk road in rural areas, involving the relocation and protection of all affected utility networks; and subject to the necessary permits being obtained.

Engineering facilities could also be built

In addition to the above, the project will also require the reinforcement and widening of the road surface on the 200-metre section between the junction of Main Road 4 and Oláhrét Street and the level crossing on Railway Line 100.

A comprehensive engineering facility must also be designed to support the maintenance of the new road. The centre to be established in Debrecen is expected to be an office building with a total usable floor area of 1,500 m², comprising a 1,500 m² workshop and a 1,500 m² salt storage facility.

In addition, preliminary environmental impact assessment documentation must be prepared for the approximately 3.2-kilometre link between Main Road 4 and Road 49101 (near Hajdúhadház).