The D5 accelerated its journey to Prague and Germany, eased Pilsen and brought jobs
After the full operation of the motorway on October 6, 2006, when the Pilsen motorway bypass is also in operation, transit traffic in the city decreased by approximately 80 percent. According to estimates by drivers and transport experts, the number of vehicles on 151 D5 kilometers increased by 50 to 60 percent in 15 years, more on the section from Prague to Pilsen.
“This traffic construction obviously relieved Pilsen and other municipalities. It also had a positive effect in that we became an attractive region and attracted a lot of investors. For me, huge advantages prevail, but in some places there are local disadvantages, because the municipalities did not realize in their broad zoning plans what other problems they may have with workers when they create so many factories, “said Pavel Čížek (STAN), Deputy Governor for Transport.
“There is less less transit in Pilsen, mainly heavy traffic. If there was no highway and bypass today, there would be tens of thousands of extra cars driving here, “said Michal Vozobule, Deputy Mayor for Transport (TOP 09). According to him, transport has grown the most in the Pilsen – Prague section in 15 years, but also to Germany, mainly due to the business interconnection of partner companies.
“It made the traffic in Pilsen very easy. Those who travel from Prague to Rozvadov all travel outside the city, “said Miroslav Blabol, Deputy Minister of the Pilsen Directorate of Roads and Motorways. Only trucks that supply shops and companies drive to Pilsen. Blabol agrees with estimates by experts and drivers that the intensity of traffic on the D5 has increased by 50 to 60 percent in 15 years. “There is more burning for trucks, because more and more goods are being transported around Europe,” he said.
According to Blabola, the highway did not experience major closures, major reconstructions or long-lasting congestion. “We are trying to make repairs on an ongoing basis, but it was not like some part would have been blocked. Now, for example, the barriers between directions were changing from Pilsen to Prague, “he said. There were more repairs in the older part of Prague. “An hour’s trip to Prague and a 45-minute drive to the border still remain,” he said. According to Vozobula, Ruzyně Airport is better accessible from Pilsen than from some parts of Prague. A faster connection to the D5 was also helped by an increase in speed from 80 to 100 km / h. in the Valík tunnel near Pilsen two years ago.
According to Čížka, the motorway direction to the West was absolutely essential. “Immediately after commissioning, it filled up between Pilsen and Prague and in Germany. The second effect was that the Germans had to build a highway on their side immediately afterwards, “he said. The region would also like to modernize the railway route to Munich. “Negotiations are ongoing. Both states should know that this is a more important direction than the corridor to Poland or elsewhere to Germany. This is due to the huge trade with Bavaria and neighboring countries, “said Vozobule. However, according to him, the German federal government is not very interested.
The D5 motorway has been under construction for 29 years, since 1977. The most complex construction was the Pilsen bypass.