Environment Ministry Issues Final Opinion on Construction of Zvolen Bypass

Bratislava, 11 February (TASR) - The Environment Ministry has issued its final opinion on the 12.5-kilometer-long Zvolen bypass (Banska Bystrica region), which is one of the state's strategic investments, Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee), Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) and Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee) announced on Wednesday. According to the Environment Ministry, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval is one of the key documents for the completion of modern, safe, and environmentally friendly road infrastructure, not only in the Pohronie area. "This is the last missing section of the R2 expressway between Zvolen West and Zvolen East, which will connect the existing R2 expressway between Zvolen East and the village of Pstrusa, taking over a significant share of transit traffic from the congested Lucenec road 1/16. The bypass will include more than 20 bridges, four flyover bridges, noise barriers, retaining walls, and a grade-separated junction," the ministry explained. "After the Kysuce area, the last missing section of the D1 Turany-Hubova motorway [Zilina region], we've taken an important step without unnecessary delays on the Zvolen bypass. The main task of our government is to open construction sites in Slovakia. It is a promise we made, and we're fulfilling it," stressed Taraba. The Zvolen bypass is a top priority project for Raz. "Approximately 22,000 cars travel between Zvolen and Lucenec [Banska Bystrica region] every day. Thanks to the implementation of the project, all drivers and transit traffic wishing to continue from the R1 towards Lucenec and Kosice will avoid Zvolen and often also traffic jams within the industrial park. I'd like to thank the Environment Ministry for issuing the EIA opinion, which will ultimately bring a better, safer, and more peaceful life to the residents of Zvolen, and we'll finally have the long-awaited Zvolen bypass and connection to the R2," he stated. According to Kalinak, the Zvolen bypass is also important from a military and logistical point of view, as most military bases and all material transfers take place along the southern route and not along the northern D1. "In this case, we also want to use the Defence Ministry's resources to finance such an excellent dual project, while also bringing the expressway closer to Sliac Airport [Banska Bystrica region], which will also have its own civilian terminal in the future that will increase the tourist attractiveness of this region," he said. am