The Slovenian government is preparing the project documentation for the construction of a high-speed highway, which will connect the Slovenian Carinthia with Ljubljana. The preliminary draft budget makes 500 million euros. The beginning of works is planned for 2019.

The modern highway will allow the residents of Koroška to quickly and comfortably reach the capital. The construction of a new high-speed road is discussed each time when the ministers and government members visit Carinthia. The distance from Dravograd to Ljubljana is only 100 kilometres, but a travel by car along the old and bumpy roads now takes at least 1.5 hours.

The investor of the construction is the company-operator of motorways in Slovenia (Dars). Dars plans to build a new highway in the sectors of Velenje-Slovenj-Gradec and Šentrupert-Velenje. Both sectors will improve transport communication between Koroška and the Styrian highway A1. In 2018, it is planned to receive the construction permit and open a contractor tender according to the Government report issued in response to the formal request from the advisor Franc Golob.

Two years ago, the minister of infrastructure Peter Gašperšič projected the start of construction for 2019. In 2017, the budget of Slovenia includes funds to buy out real estate objects for the construction of the highway. The purchase of land plots can start as early as the next year.

The company-operator of Slovenia’s motorways (Dars) explains the high cost of the project (500 million euros) by difficult terrain, in particular, the presence of numerous tunnels and viaducts within the area of the future highway.

Source: siol.net