EU funds for the construction of the Eastern bypass in Murska Sobota
Ljubljana, 16 May 2013 – The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, acting as the Managing Authority for the EU structural funds and the Cohesion Fund, issued a decision awarding EU funds for the construction of the first phase of the Eastern bypass in Murska Sobota. The project, worth over 11.8 million Euros, was prepared by the Slovene Roads Agency. The European Regional Development Fund contribution amounts to a little over 9 million Euros.
The investment, which is foreseen to close at the end of 2015, includes the construction of 2,720 metres of the road in the Southern segment of the Eastern bypass in Murska Sobota and an overpass where the road crosses the railway track. This will enable the continuation of the construction of the Southern bypass (it was constructed in 2003 in the framework of the construction of the Pomurje highway; section Vučja vas – Beltinci) from the intersection with the street Tomšičeva ulica to the connection to the road Plese. The investment also includes the relocation of approximately 480 metres of the cycling route, new intersections will be constructed, drainage, also adequate road equipment and signalisation will be installed as well as anti-noise measures will be implemented. Besides the costs of construction, the estimated value of the project also includes also other costs (drawing up the spatial, technical and other documentation, purchase of land, construction supervision, etc.).
The construction of the second phase of the Eastern bypass in Murska Sobota to the intersection Čarda is foreseen to be finished by the end of 2020.
The road in the framework of the first phase of Eastern bypass will be located between the left bank of the discharging channel Lendava – Mura and the Eastern margins of Murska Sobota between the street Panonska cesta and the area Plese.
The regional roads, which go through Murska Sobota, are located in important transport directions and are, in addition to the local and urban traffic, burdened also by regional and transit traffic. The upgrade of the overall route of the Pomurje highway from the Hungarian border to Maribor has made Prekmurje more accessible; also strengthened development of the area along the highway corridor, which includes the regional centres Lendava and Murska Sobota, is also expected.
The construction of the overall Eastern bypass (first and second phase) will bring a significant improvement of the traffic conditions in Murska Sobota as the new bypass will take over the majority of the traffic through the city as thus discharge the streets Industrijska ulica, Panonska ulica and Lendavska ulica. The foreseen system of bypasses will enable a faster, simpler and safer access from the city to the highway.
The construction of the entire bypass will improve the traffic safety in the wider area of Murska Sobota and the living conditions as the regional and transit traffic, which currently goes through the city, will be redistributed. Greater flow of traffic will also lower the emissions of dangerous gases into the atmosphere.
