The entire D6 motorway connecting Prague and Karlovy Vary is slated for completion in 2028.
D6 Motorway Expansion Nears Completion
Drivers can anticipate a significant leap forward in their travel between Prague and Karlovy Vary, as the D6 motorway project surges ahead. Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS) announced that over forty kilometers of the D6 are currently under construction, marking substantial progress in recent years.
In a matter of two months, motorists can look forward to the opening of two key sections in the Central Bohemian Region, Hořovičky and Řevničov. These segments span nearly fifteen kilometers, effectively completing the D6 within this region.
The minister pledged that the entire stretch from Prague to Karlovy Vary will be finished by 2028. The latest seven-kilometer segment between Žalmanov and Kněnice is already underway, featuring six bridges, two overpasses, and a railway bridge.
This new stretch will traverse the Valley of the Bochovský brook via a 211-meter-long monolithic prestressed concrete bridge. A grade-separated intersection at Bochov is also planned, according to RMD spokesman Jan Rydl.
Extensive protective barriers for birds are being installed. “There will be three, one kilometer long and eight hundred meters long,” he noted. These barriers are situated near the Doupov Mountain bird area and the Údrčí natural monument. The four-meter-high barriers are designed as opaque, visible openings for birds, with wooden panels interspersed among steel columns.
Relief for Local Communities
Radek Mátl, General Director of the RMD, highlighted the project’s benefit for local residents. “The motorway will mainly take traffic from the vicinity of the villages, which now motorists run on the first class road,” he stated. “It is more than eleven thousand cars a day. People in the adjacent municipalities will be significantly relieved. At the same time, traffic safety will increase significantly.”
Mátl anticipates that the most challenging phase will be the final segment towards Karlovy Vary, requiring careful staging where the highway connects to the I/6 road. He also mentioned the use of lime suspension in road construction, a technique that promises to extend road durability compared to crushed aggregates.
Out of the approximately 114 kilometers connecting Prague and Karlovy Vary, 56 kilometers of the D6 motorway remain to be completed. The RMD plans to commence the remaining two sections next year, aiming for the full completion of this vital link by 2028. “The completion is a major priority for us,” Mátl emphasized.
