National
Development Agency

The National Development Agency received approval from Brussels this week for the major project aimed at constructing the Szeged-Makó stretch of Motorway M43. Together with this decision, 14 major projects have now received a nod of approval from the European Commission, the total funding value of which amounts to nearly 500 billion HUF, whilst their total investment value exceeds 750 billion HUF. Moreover, a further 15 major projects have been approved by the Government, of which 10 are currently awaiting approval in Brussels.

The way in which Hungary is one of the leading countries among EU member states in terms of the number of major projects submitted, although it ranks first in terms of the ratio of the total number of major projects planned demonstrates the success of Hungarian development policy. These investments are extremely significant also because of how major investments prepared at a high standard will represent responses to the challenges the building industry and Hungarian labour market is facing due to the international financial and economic crisis.

Yet another step has been taken to fully construct the Hungarian motorway network towards the country’s borders. The planned route of Motorway M43 begins north of Szeged off Motorway M5, proceeds eastwards from Szeged, northwards from Maroslelét and Makó and then continues on to the border crossing at Csanádpalota along the border with Romania. This major project, which is to be implemented with the help of EU funding amounting to a total of 42 billion HUF, is the second phase of the Motorway M43 investment. The stretch up to Makó will be constructed within the framework of the present project, which implies the construction of a 31.6-kilometre-long motorway stretch, as well as a new bridge spanning the Tisza, alongside the 7.6-kilometre-long highway bypassing the city lying on the banks of River Maros, which will re-direct traffic to Highway 43. The 23.1-kilometre stretch to be constructed between Makó and the Romanian border, the preparation of which has already begun, will be the third phase of this motorway construction project.    

The construction of Motorway M43 makes it possible to reduce transit traffic traversing Szeged, as well as settlements along Highway 43. The motorway will divert international transit traffic from the main roads of smaller settlements, eliminate excessive traffic in downtown areas and help transit traffic avoid the municipal road network. A total of 240,000 residents live in the 10-kilometre zone of this stretch and this investment also helps improve their living circumstances. The planned investment contributes to reducing transit traffic, noise pollution, as well as pollution emission levels in the agglomeration.