Slovakia tunnel sections underway but some delays

The route for new tunnel links for Slovakia’s D1 highway has been agreed. New tunnels now look set to be built on the 13.5km stretch between Turany and Hubova section of the D1 highway. This plan calls for the construction of the Korbelka and Havran tunnels at an estimated cost of €900 million. Building these two links would bypass the Lower Fatra mountain range, with the Korbelka Tunnel measuring 5.9km and the Havran Tunnel measuring 2.9km long. The Slovak Environment Ministry rejected an appeal against the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

However, questions remain over the Cebrat Tunnel, which is located on the 15km section of the D1 highway between Hubova and Ivachnova. The Slovak Transport and Construction Ministry has been warned by the 2465 European Commission (EC) not to carry out any more work to drive this tunnel until the EIA has been completed. As continuing work on the tunnel could affect European funding for other road projects in Slovakia, the Slovak Transport and Construction Ministry wants progress to be delayed for the meantime. A consortium is carrying out the construction of this section of the D1, having been awarded the package of works by the Slovak motorway management company 5891 NDS. But construction work on the Cebrat Tunnel stopped in 2015 following a landslide, which required the route to be changed and extended by 1.6km to measure 3.6km in all. The tunnel was originally expected to cost €227 million but will now cost €288 million and will not be complete until mid-2022 due to the rerouting and anticipated delays over the EIA completion.

Delays have affected the Visnove Tunnel for the D1 highway but it should now be ready by the summer of 2018. This stretch of tunnel will be 7.5km long and feature parallel drives and work on this section commenced in 2014. It is being built by Salini Impregilo and Duha and is costing around €492 million. The link forms part of a 13.5km stretch of the D1 running through Lietavska Lucka, Visnove and Dubna Skala.