Ljubljana, 2 July 2021 – Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the projects Agreement on the development of region Ptuj-Markovci-Gorišnica, Agreement on the development of region Ptuj-Juršinci, Development of cycling infrastructure in Trbovlje, Agreement on the development of region Regional cycling route Novo mesto-Straža, Agreement on the development of region Destrnik-Ptuj, Cycling connection between Radlje ob Dravi and Vas, Agreement on the development of region Kungota-Maribor and Agreement on the development of region Regional cycling route Črnomelj-Kanižarica. The total value of all projects amounts to EUR 17.7 million. The projects will be supported by the EU, with EUR 8.3 million coming from the European Regional Development Fund.
The EUR 3.5 million cycle project Agreement on the development of region Ptuj-Markovci-Gorišnica will receive support from the European Regional Development Fund in the amount of over EUR 1.6 million. As part of the project, Urban Municipality Ptuj, Municipality Markovci and Municipality Gorišnica will build a 10.7-kilometre long regional cycling route. The newly established cycling infrastructure connecting Ptuj as the region’s educational, administrative and employment centre with the hinterland settlements and the neighbouring two municipalities will promote utility cycling.
The project Agreement on the development of region Ptuj-Juršinci is worth nearly EUR 3.4 million. It will receive a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund amounting to EUR 1.7 million. The newly developed regional cycling route will connect both municipalities. The 11-kilometre long route, of which 8.1 kilometres will be newly developed, will provide the residents with a safe and comfortable cycling experience on an interconnected infrastructure that will link Ptuj, the region’s centre, with the neighbouring municipality from which people travel to Ptuj on a daily basis.
The cycle project Agreement on the development of region Destrnik-Ptuj is worth EUR 735,000, of which EUR 306,000 will come from the European Regional Development Fund. Municipality Destrnik will build a 2-kilometre cycling route to link the settlements in the municipality with Urban Municipality Ptuj. The entire route will be nearly 5 kilometres long. The project is part of the national cycle network and the regional cycling route Trate-Lenart-Ptuj.
With an overall budget of EUR 783,000, the cycle project Cycling connection between Radlje ob Dravi and Vas will receive a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund in the amount of EUR 327,000. As part of the project, Municipality Radlje ob Dravi intends to provide a safe, comfortable and uninterrupted cycling connection between the settlements Radlje ob Dravi and Vas, of which some 1.5 kilometres will be newly constructed. The municipalities in the Dravska dolina valley will be better linked thanks to the safe cycling route that will run all the way to Municipality Podvelka. The newly established infrastructure will support the development of green tourism as well.
The total amount of funding available for the project Agreement on the development of region Kungota-Maribor stands at nearly EUR 2.4 million, of which over EUR 1.1 million will come from the European Regional Development Fund. Municipalities Kungota and Pesnica as the project beneficiaries will develop a 5.7-kilometre long cycling connection between Kungota and Maribor, thus establishing links with the region’s centre, the city of Maribor. The project aims to improve the safety of cyclists. It is set to kick off sometime in the end of the year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
The nearly EUR 2.3 million cycle project Development of cycling infrastructure in Trbovlje will receive a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund in the amount of over EUR 1.3 million. As part of the project, Municipality Trbovlje intends to develop a 6.4-kilometre cycling route and connect it to the already existing cycling infrastructure to create links in the entire valley. The route will start at the railway station in the south and run to Gabrsko in the north and will link various parts of the town, allowing daily migrations and encouraging cycling as a means of transport for work-related or other purposes. A 2-kilometre separated cycling infrastructure will be built and three additional covered bike parking facilities set up.
The EUR 3.8 million cycle project Agreement on the development of region Regional cycling route Novo mesto-Straža will receive a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund amounting to over EUR 1.5 million. The beneficiaries, Municipality Straža and Urban Municipality Novo mesto will build a 10.8-kilometre long cycling route between Straža and Novo mesto, of which new cycling routes will account for some 8.5 kilometres. The project will result in a safe cycling infrastructure with good conditions for utility cycling from Straža to Novo mesto, the region’s employment and administrative centre.
Another cycle project in a series of EU-funded cycle projects is a EUR 906,000 worth Agreement on the development of region Regional cycling route Črnomelj-Kanižarica which will receive a EUR 400,000 contribution from the European Regional Development Fund. As part of the project, Municipality Črnomelj will extend a two-way cycling route running on one side of the state road between Črnomelj (Kočevje) and Kanižarica by 615 metres and connect a new 80-metre long two-way cycling route running on both sides of the road from the centre of Kanižarica to the road leading to Blatnik so that the uninterrupted stretch will be 4.3 kilometres long. The project will ensure safe daily cycling from Kanižarica and Črnomelj towards the two major employment centres Industrial Zone Akrapovič-Livar-Polycom and Business Zone TRIS as well as between major neighbourhoods, such as Čardak Črnomelj and Kanižarica. The project is set to start in September and is expected to be completed by June 2022.
Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy is currently working on further 29 applications for funding of cycling connections worth in total nearly EUR 70 million. The funding available to Slovenia under the programming period 2014-2020 is fully committed with the latest funding approvals. The government will shortly discuss the report on the progress made in implementing EU cohesion policy in Slovenia and adopt the decisions necessary to kick start the remaining projects.