Construction of the D1 highway section Hubová–Ivachnová is nearing completion. According to the mayor of Ružomberok, it will help relieve traffic congestion and improve air quality. However, opening this section will not resolve the situation in other municipalities in the Liptov region.
Construction of the 15-kilometer Ružomberok bypass began in 2013. The project was complicated by design changes to the Čebrať Tunnel and by landslides. After twelve years, the construction is now approaching its final phase.
“In 2026, we plan to hand it over to motorists for use. It is currently the longest highway section under construction in Slovakia, with a total length of almost 15 kilometers, including a 3.6-kilometer tunnel. It also includes 19 bridges and three interchanges,” explained Tomáš Ferenčák, spokesperson for the National Motorway Company (NDS). Opening the section will shorten the drive from Bratislava to Košice by approximately 16 minutes. However, residents of Ružomberok are especially awaiting the opening of the bypass.
“More than 30,000 trucks and passenger cars pass through Ružomberok every day, which has a significant impact on the deterioration of the environment in terms of emissions, noise, and dust,” assessed Ružomberok mayor Ľubomír Kubáň. Municipalities between Martin and Ružomberok will have to wait for the opening of the Turany–Hubová highway section. This is also the last missing section of the D1 needed to fully connect Bratislava and Košice by highway. “This section has been planned for 13 years, and there are always protests from one side or another, which is why construction has not yet even begun,” noted transport analyst Jozef Drahovský.
In December 2025, the Public Procurement Office (ÚVO) intervened in the preparation of the section, questioning the selection of the construction contractor. “The NDS will have to repeat this restricted tender or the public procurement procedure. The D1 highway is something we would all like to have completed for several years now, but in the NDS procedure we identified violations of public procurement rules,” said ÚVO chairman Peter Kubovič.
“We consider the decision of the ÚVO chairman to be incorrect and believe it directly harms the interests of the Slovak Republic. The decision sets preparatory processes back by two years, which costs the state more than one billion euros in socio-economic impacts,” added Transport Minister Jozef Ráž (nominee of Smer-SD).
Source: STVR
