EU funds for the project Non-level crossing of the main and regional railway with the main road Sentjur – Mestinje in Grobelno
Ljubljana, 23 October 2012 – The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (MEDT), as the Managing Authority for the EU structural funds and the Cohesion Fund, issued a decision granting EU funds for the project non-level crossing of the main and regional railway with the main road Sentjur – Mestinje in Grobelno. The project, which is worth 16.9 million Euros, is part of the Operational Programme for the Development of the Environmental and Transport Infrastructure for the period 2007–2013 and will be co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund in the amount of 13.1 million Euros.
The area of Grobelno is marked by the main railway Zidani Most – Sentilj – state border and the regional railway Grobelno – Stranje – Rogatec – state border. In the distance of only 750 metres, both tracks cross the main road Sentjur – Mestinje three times in Grobelno, which represents a bottleneck. This causes long rows of vehicles, waiting to cross, which also increases the level noise and pollution of the area.
In the framework of the project, for the implementation of which the Slovenian Roads Agency is responsible, 1,540 metres of the main road will be renovated, an overpass over the railway will be constructed and three level crossings will be abolished. A crossing, where the setting of lifts for persons with disabilities is foreseen, will enable the pedestrians and cyclists to cross the railway. The investment will also rearrange by-pass facilities, bus stops, cycling paths and pathways, junctions and crossroads, drainage, public lighting and the noise barrier.
The realisation of the project, which is foreseen to be completed by the end of 2015, will contribute to the elimination of the bottleneck, the increase of transport safety and greater flow of traffic, the decrease of the users’ expenses and the reduction of noise and exhaust gases emissions. The increase of the flow of traffic in the segment Celje – state border Dobovec will improve the connection of the area of Obsotelje and Kozjansko with the highway as well as the connection of the individual parts of the settlement Grobelno with the near-by hamlets. Better accessibility will also have a positive effect on the competitiveness and regional development.
The funds in the amount of 1.57 billion Euros in the framework of the Operational Programme for the Development of the Environmental and Transport Infrastructure for the period 2007–2013 are primarily meant for the modernisation or construction of new infrastructure in the field of environment and transport. The smaller share of these funds is also meant for the projects in the field of sustainable energy use.
