The northern part of the capital's zero bypass existed only on paper and in studies until recently, but now in the Little Carpathians, near the village of Borinka, detailed engineering-geological and hydrogeological studies have begun. They are to lay the final foundations for the Carpathian tunnel. This project, worth nearly 18 million euros, could become the largest road investment and finally solve the chronic traffic jams in the city.
What the megaproject worth nearly 1.7 billion euros will bring
The planned section of the D4 highway between Bratislava's Rača and Záhorská Bystrica will be 12.4 kilometers long. The majority of this route – as much as 11.8 kilometers – will be the Carpathian tunnel, which after completion will officially make it the longest tunnel in Slovakia.
The Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic and the National Highway Company (NDS) expect that construction with a preliminary cost of 1.7 billion euros will significantly ease transport throughout the capital. According to ministry analyses, the tunnel, combined with other measures, will be able to remove up to 70 percent of transit freight traffic and about 40 percent of total traffic from Bratislava's streets. Today, a significant part of trucks traveling from the Czech Republic to Hungary pass directly through the congested Lafranconi Bridge or the Sitina tunnel.
Three years of drilling and fifteen years of strict monitoring
Current field studies will not be short-term. Geologists and hydrogeologists will monitor the area for about 15 years, with the fieldwork itself lasting three years.
- 170 boreholes: At various depths below the surface – sometimes up to 350 meters – the rock environment and underground waters will be checked.
- Water monitoring: About a year into the studies, detailed observation of the water regime will begin to ensure construction does not threaten local springs and the Little Carpathians ecosystem.
- Designer competition: Meanwhile, NDS has started public tenders for the executor of the project documentation, opening the way for future property-legal settlement of land plots.
Transport Minister Jozef Raj assures that residents of Borinka or surrounding villages should not fear massive interventions. Since this is deep tunnel construction, during the studies and the tunnel construction itself, no mass tree cutting in the protected area is planned, as often happens with ordinary surface roads.
Although experts, such as transport analyst Jozef Dragovsky, call the investment strategic and necessary to connect the east and west of the city north of the Danube, the project has previously been accompanied by concerns from residents of affected areas or questions about final financing. However, if preparation goes according to schedule, Slovakia will receive not only a record structure but most importantly — a missing northern bypass that will ease the breathing and nerves of hundreds of thousands of drivers.
