A dramatic increase in 3-star rating on Slovakia’s motorways and expressways led to the country’s national motorway company, NDS, scooping this year’s annual EuroRAP award at the 2016 assembly and conference in Slovenia.
The annual award honours the year’s most valuable project in the field of road infrastructure. The award was presented to Jozef Veres, the head of investment and operation maintenance at NDS, by the European Transport Commissioner, Violeta Bulc, who are pictured above.
In the last couple of years, a 327km section of Slovakia’s major road network has undergone a dramatic transformation. In 2013, less than 30% of the section was rated 3-star or better. Following a major programme of improvements, EuroRAP Slovakia’s assessment in 2016 revealed that 77% of these roads were rated at 3-star or better with 1-star sections having disappeared completely.
Among the improvements are:
• Installation of safety barriers
• Paved shoulders and rumble strips
• Implementing impact attenuators on demerge lanes.
EuroRAP estimates that 355 deaths and serious injuries could be prevented over the next 20 years as a result of the upgrading.
Martin Juck, the managing director of EuroRAP Slovakia, said: ‘It was a great privilege for us that NDS received this honour. I hope the result we have achieved in Slovakia will inspire other responsible road owners and authorities in the Danube Region and elsewhere. We’ve shown what we can do to save lives and reduce the number of injuries.’