A New Success for Transport: A Section of Motorway D49 Connects Hulín and Holešov

On Thursday, 19 December 2024, a ten-kilometre section of motorway D49 between Hulín and Holešov was opened. This section represents an important step in improving the traffic situation in the region. Completion of the remaining 7.8-kilometre section to Fryšták is planned for this year.

The new motorway section will significantly shorten travel times and reduce emissions in the town of Holešov, through which nearly nine thousand vehicles heading to Zlín and Bystřice pod Hostýnem pass each day. This construction should provide significant relief to traffic in the surrounding area.

However, the D49 motorway project has long faced difficulties associated with protests by environmental activists. Initial construction work began as early as 2008, but had to be interrupted twice. In 2010, the building permit was revoked and the project was halted. After construction resumed at the end of 2021, the work had to be temporarily suspended again last year due to significant administrative complications.

In November of last year, however, a breakthrough occurred when the Minister of Transport confirmed amendments to the building permit, which thus regained legal validity. This will enable not only the continuation of the project, but also the opening of a section to drivers. Completion and commissioning of the remaining section to Fryšták is planned for the first half of this year.

The aim of the construction is to build a high-capacity transit route that will divert heavy road traffic from towns and municipalities such as Zlín, Otrokovice, Holešov, and Hulín. This change should have a positive impact on the lives of residents of all municipalities along the existing routes of roads I/49, I/55, II/490, and II/432 in the Kroměříž and Zlín districts. According to information provided by the Road and Motorway Directorate, the new infrastructure should fundamentally improve transport services across the entire area.

Source: Television TVS, photo: RD