To complete the entire Košice bypass, the completion of the first stage is still missing. It is a section of the R2 motorway between Šaca and Haniska. If the public procurement is carried out as expected, the construction of this new four-lane section could begin as early as next year, as the National Motorway Company (NDS) announced a tender for the contractor at the end of May this year.

The recently opened approximately 14-kilometer section between Košické Oľšany and the Košice South intersection relieves Košice of thousands of cars, including a large number of trucks, every day. The completion of the bypass is expected to further relieve traffic in the southern part of the city.

The R2 section between Šaca and Haniska will measure 6.825 kilometers and its estimated value is EUR 162.5 million without VAT. The project will include more than 100 buildings, five bridges and two interchanges – Ludvíkov Dvor and Haniska.

At the same time, the expressway will bridge railway lines, connect to the existing R4 and create a direct connection from Šaca towards the D1 motorway. The advantage of this section is that the expressway will be built practically on a flat surface, so its implementation will not require complex technical solutions.

The route will run along the premises of our company, while freight traffic heading to the steel mills will no longer have to pass through the city or use lower class roads. If we take into account only the transport of our finished production, i.e. flat rolled products and pipes, we estimate that this new part of the bypass will be used by about 5,800 trucks per month, which represents approximately 120,000 tons of material. Our estimate is based on the current market and data for January to June 2026.

After the completion of the entire Košice bypass, traffic flow will be significantly improved, safety will increase and a significant part of transit traffic will be diverted outside the city of Košice.

Foto: NDS/josephine.proebiz.com

In the attached video animation (this is an older animation made before the completion of the second stage of the Košice bypass), you can see the first stage of the bypass from the Ľudvíkov Dvor interchange to the Haniska interchange, where the R2 expressway will connect to the existing R4 motorway.