By the end of 2026, 200 kilometers of bike lanes will be built across Slovakia. Minister of Transport Jozef Ráž (Smer-SD nominee) announced this on Wednesday, October 1, at a press conference during the reconstruction of the combined Ostružinový cycling path. Bratislava Mayor Matúš Vallo also attended the event.
“By the end of our administration, that is, by the end of 2026, a total of 200 kilometers of bike lanes will be built and handed over across Slovakia,” Ráž said, adding that there is strong interest in cycling infrastructure in every region.
According to Ráž, the third cycling challenge from the Ministry of Transport (MD) has come to an end. The ministry no longer has funding available in the current programming period to finance bike lanes. He advised municipalities to turn to the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development, and Informatization (MIRRI), which will have different components for financing cycling infrastructure.
Vallo added that, with support from the Ministry of Transport and funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan, over fifteen kilometers of bike lanes have already been completed or will soon be added in Bratislava. The goal is to enable as many people as possible to move safely and comfortably around the capital.
The most important project this year was a six-kilometer Petržalka bike corridor alongside tram line no. 3. “Developing cycling infrastructure is not just about kilometers, but also about shorter yet crucial sections that connect existing bike lanes. This includes the Mlynské Nivy – Dunajská section, where cyclists had long struggled on a narrow road between cars. The Safe Dunajská and Mlynské Nivy project connects existing bike lanes to Ružinov, the city center, and Petržalka,” Ráž said.
Vallo highlighted other projects, including the section between Hraničná and Bajkalská, which connects Ružinov to the city center and the embankment, and a lane along Karloveská Bay that links Karlova Ves to the city center.
From the Recovery and Resilience Plan, more than nine kilometers of bike lanes have already been added in Bratislava. The Ministry of Transport recently signed contracts to co-finance four more cycling projects worth approximately one million euros, which the city will propose and implement. This will add over six kilometers of new cycling infrastructure in the capital.
“Thanks to funding from the Recovery and Resilience Plan, we have already built or reconstructed several bike lanes, such as the one-and-a-half-kilometer combined bike path on Hradska Street,” said Bratislava Deputy Mayor Tatiana Kratochvílová. She also mentioned a 700-meter section on 29. augusta Street, forming a continuous route connecting to the Ružinov district via Dunajská Street, as well as the bike path on Račianska Street.
“Currently, thanks to the Recovery Plan, we are developing these bike lanes, including the Lamačská corridor from Zidiny Street to the Ostružinový path,” she added.
Source: STVR
