Ruzomberok Bypass Set to Be Opened on 5 October

Ruzomberok, 17 September (TASR) - The Hubova-Ivachnova D1-motorway section, which will serve as a bypass around Ruzomberok (Zilina region), will be available to drivers as of 5 October, the Transport Ministry and the National Highway Company (NDS) announced at a news conference on Thursday.
        "We are just a few days away from the opening of this new, nearly 15-kilometre motorway stretch. The first motorists will be able to drive along the new motorway as early as on Monday, 5 October, at some time in the early evening," said Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee). The opening ceremony will include a public event due to be held on Saturday (October 3).
        In the final days before the section opens, highway company workers will be installing additional traffic signs, carrying out landscaping along the route, and cleaning the roadway and drainage systems. Structural components and the technology of the Cebrat Tunnel will also undergo cleaning and inspection. "The final work on connecting the motorway will require the brief overnight closure of the D1 section near the village of Ivachnova, which is already open to traffic," said NDS general director Filip Machacek, specifying that the section will be closed on the night from Saturday (26 September) to Sunday (27 September).
        The Hubova-Ivachnova D1 section will save motorists several tens of minutes when travelling from western Slovakia to the east. At the same time, it will relieve the inhabitants of Ruzomberok of heavy traffic, smog and noise from transit transport. The almost 15-kilometre motorway section includes 19 bridges, three junctions and the 3.6-kilometre Cebrat Tunnel. The project is directly connected to the planned D1 Turany-Hubova section towards Martin.