This year, 570 kilometres of main and secondary roads are to be upgraded across the country – the affected sections are shown on the map

This year, 570 kilometres of national main and secondary roads will be upgraded in Hungary – it was announced on his social media page, Dávid Vitézy. According to the Minister for Transport and Investment, the programme, worth nearly 149 billion forints, covers a total of 210 locations, with road infrastructure projects being carried out in every county in the country.

Most of the development projects involve the modernisation of road sections measuring a few kilometres in length. The minister emphasised that, whilst a road renovation project covering two or three kilometres might seem like a minor investment on a national scale, it can bring about a significant change for the residents of the towns and villages concerned, particularly in places where people have been waiting for the road to be repaired for decades.

57 per cent of the road network undergoing renewal is being modernised using EU funds

Of the 210 projects included in the programme, 114 are being implemented using European Union funding from the Regional and Urban Development Operational Programme Plus (TOP Plusz). Their total value is approximately 58.1 billion forints, and the funding will be used to upgrade 324 kilometres of roads.

The sections covered by EU funding account for nearly 57 per cent of the road network due for renewal this year.

According to Dávid Vitézy, the data also indicate that European Union funds play a key role in the modernisation of roads linking villages, small towns and regional centres.

Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County is home to the highest number of projects

There is no county in this year’s programme where a road infrastructure project is not due to be carried out. The largest number of projects – 23 in total – are planned for Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County; 21 are planned for Pest County; and 19 for Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County.

There are 18 projects in Heves County, 15 in Vas County, 13 in Nógrád County, 12 each in Bács-Kiskun and Zala counties, and 11 in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County. The programme includes 9 projects each in Baranya, Hajdú-Bihar and Komárom-Esztergom counties, and 8 projects each in Csongrád-Csanád and Veszprém counties.

Seven road improvement projects will be carried out in Békés County, six in Győr-Moson-Sopron County, five in Fejér County, four in Tolna County and one in Somogy County in 2026.

It is not just the tarmac surface that is being replaced

At most sites, the works are not limited to the resurfacing of the existing road surface. According to the Ministry’s statement, comprehensive structural reinforcement is being carried out on numerous road sections, which also affects the structural layers located beneath the asphalt layers. The aim of these complex interventions is to ensure that the modernised roads remain durable and safe in the long term.

Dávid Vitézy pointed out that in 2024, Magyar Közút was only able to fully refurbish 0.1 per cent of the entire road network under its management. The Ministry intends the current investments to be the first elements of a national programme that can be planned several years in advance. According to the plans, by utilising a combination of domestic budgetary and European Union funds, the condition of the country’s entire network of main and secondary roads would be gradually improved.