Construction of the railway underpass on Tokaji út in Nyíregyháza can now begin

In 2019, we reported that Főmterv Zrt. is preparing the project for the railway underpass to be built on the Nyíregyháza–Tokaj main road. The junction between the Budapest–Záhony railway line, which carries heavy traffic, and Main Road 38 (Tokaji út) has long been a problem for both local residents and the significant volume of through traffic.

It had already been suggested at that stage that a 1.5 km section of Route 38 within the town limits would also be widened to four lanes; this would create a new bypass over the main course of the Érpataki, where further junctions would be constructed.

It resurfaced in 2025

A public procurement procedure was launched in the autumn of 2025 to draw up the detailed design plans for the project. This called for the further planning of the grade-separated junction between Tokaji út in Nyíregyháza and railway line 100. The winner of the preparatory work, scheduled to last 540 days, was never announced; although, according to the public procurement notice, the project already had approval plans and building permits in place by that time.

According to the project brief outlined at the time, the approximately 1.6-kilometre-long section of Main Road 38 between Kopogó Street and Main Road 36 (the Grand Boulevard) was to have been widened from 2×1 lanes to 2×2 lanes, and a road underpass would have been created at the junction of Main Road 38 and Railway Line 100 by constructing a new railway bridge with a clear span of approximately 23 metres. In addition, by routing Road 38 over the main channel of the Érpatak River, a national road bridge with a 7-metre clear span, as well as a seven-level interchange, could be built here, together with footpaths and cycle paths. The construction of the underpass also necessitated the planning of two service roads with a total length of approximately 1.3 km.

The problematic junction has been brought up again

Dávid Vitézy, Minister for Transport and Investment, announced in a recent Facebook post, Dávid Vitézy, Minister for Transport and Investment, announced that preparations are once again underway to replace the level crossing on Tokaji út. Reiterating the key elements of the previous public procurement process, he emphasised:

„The closed barrier regularly holds up traffic, causes congestion and also poses a safety risk to the railway.”

Let us hope that, building on previous results, the work can be completed in less time than usual, so that construction can begin as soon as possible; after all, the redevelopment of one of our eastern city’s problematic junctions is a matter of urgency.