Hungary’s busiest motorways to Austria, Lake Balaton to become 4-lane!

The Hungarian Concession Infrastructure Development Plc. (Magyar Koncessziós Infrastruktúra Fejlesztő Zrt., MKIF) is operating 1,237 kilometres of motorway in Hungary. They announced the development of the two busiest motorways in Hungary, the M1 connecting Budapest with Austria and the M7 connecting the Hungarian capital with Lake Balaton and Croatia. The renewed motorways will have 3+1X3+1 lanes in several segments, instead of the current 2X2. Hopefully, there will be fewer traffic jams towards Austria and Croatia after the extension.

Motorways will be renewed in Hungary

According to index.hu, the company will operate and extend 1,237 kilometres of Hungarian motorway until 2057. The MKIF is in the ownership of a consortium of private equity funds belonging to László Szíjj and Lőrinc Mészáros, two well-known Hungarian government-close businessmen. Antal Rogán, the Head of the Cabinet of the Prime Minister, said the contract with the MKIF can be extended with the M5 and M6 motorways.

The MKIF started to operate most of the Hungarian motorways from 1 September 2022. Until 2034, they undertook the obligation to build 279 kilometres of high-speed road and 299 kilometres of motorway. Before that, they have to bring the motorway pavements to a uniform level, which means the renovation of 538 kilometres. The deadline for this project is 31 August 2025. In 2023, they finished 3.6 million sqm, and in 2024, they completed 3.9 million sqm, 20% of the total highway pavement. Moreover, they will renew 200 bridges and overpasses.

Developments will start in 2025

In the next few years, MKIF plans to extend the M1, M7 and M3 motorways. The M1 will be extended between the M0 ringroad and the Austrian-Hungarian border. The M7 will be extended between the M0 and Balatonvilágos, while the M3 between Budapest’s Szentmihályi Street and Gyöngyös.