R3 is a mostly planned expressway () passing through central Slovakia in a north–south direction along European route E77.
It goes from the Hungarian border, moving North bound around Krupina to Zvolen, from there it is currently planned to share an 18km section with R1 and R2 from Budča to Žiar nad Hronom. It is planned to share a section between Žiar nad Hronom and Ráztočno near Handlová with R2. The route then continues North, from Martin sharing a section with the D1 before splitting off in Hubová, going from Dolný Kubín through the Orava River valley to Trstená and ending at Polish border. The motorway goes along the route I/59, I/18, I/65 and through I/66
From the total length of approximately 230km (excluding shared sections), these sections are currently in operation:
9.2km Trstená - Nižná (two-lane)http://dialnice.szm.com/highways/opening.html List of motorways and expressways constructions in use 5.7km Oravský Podzámok - Horná Lehota (two-lane) 1.7km Martin - Martin, North 4.3km Horná Štubňa bypass (two-lane) The route R3, is designed in three parts. In the North from Trstená to the intersection with the D1 highway in Likavka. In the central part from the intersection with the D1 highway in Martin to the intersection with the expressway along the route R2 in Ráztoč and in the Southern part from the intersection with the R1 expressway in Budča to the state border of Slovakia with Hungary near Šahy. Here the R3 will connect to the Hungarian highway M2. Currently there are no plans to connect route R3 to the Polish highway network in the North, as there are no highway construction plans on the Polish side. This can however change in the future. In 2019, a technical study was conducted in Poland for the construction of a connecting section of the Polish expressway S7, from the current termination in Rabka-Zdrój to the state border with a prospective connection to the R3 road. The technical study of this section was completed at the end of 2020, Poland is planning to construct a high-capacity four-lane highway. Between Šahy and Dudince, the R3 road will intersect with the R7 road.
The total length of the R3, with the exception of toll roads, i.e. sections that the R3 route shares with other highways and expressways, is approximately 200 km. In the case of the route of the southern part of this road, in the section roughly between Zvolen and the state border with Hungary, the technical study also allows the possibility of ending the road R3 in Štúrovo instead of Šahy and at the same time, the technical study also allows the possibility of the route of the road R3 through Hronský Beňadik instead of Budča. The specific route of the R3 road in the southern section has not yet been determined. The southern section of the R3 expressway is at the same time the oldest in terms of plans, as the highway in this corridor is already mentioned in the Resolution of the Government of the Czechoslovak Republic No. 286/1963 from 1963. This resolution envisaged the construction of highway No. 66 in the section from Zvolen directly south to Šahy.
The lengths and routes of individual sections listed below are based on provisional construction plans in 2020, but considering the fact that many sections of the R3 road are only at the beginning, it is almost certain that the lengths and routes of unbuilt sections will still change. In 2020, there was a total change in the routing in the area of Dolný Kubín and in the section from the D1 highway to Dolný Kubín. Road R3 is to be implemented to a considerable extent as a reconstruction or completion of the existing road I/59. The R3 road through the town of Dolný Kubín has been newly extended. The planned intersection of the R3 road with the D1 highway was moved from the Hubová location to the Likavka location.
The international route E77 passes along the route of road R3. R3 will lighten traffic on the Kremnické Bane mountain pass, which is located on I/65. Construction on almost the entire length of R3 will require the relocation of roads, watercourses and engineering networks, as part of environmental protection, sewerage with the separation of oil substances and noise barriers will be built. The construction of two tunnels is tentatively planned for the R3 route; Biela Skala (630m) and Sklené (3450m). Both tunnels are located on the planned Horná Štubňa - Ráztočno section. According to the current plans of the Ministry of Transport, with the exception of the section near Tvrdošín, no sections of the R3 road will be constructed or open until 2028. Sections at a high level of preparation were not included in the plans either. With regard to the current intentions of the Ministry of Transport, the operation of the expressway along the entire length of the route cannot be expected before the year 2050.
Junctions of the R3
Section orderSection designationlength of the section in kmStart of construction sectionOpening of sectionExits and junctions1.?Border crossing SK/PL - Trstenácca. 3,5Depends on agreement of SR a PRDepends on agreement of SR a PRSection without exits1.Trstená bypass, left side7,2Not included in the plan before year 2028?901. connection onto the route I/59 1. Trstená, completion
2. Tvrdošín, completion1.Trstená bypass, right side7,220082010901. temporary connection on I/59 1. Trstená
2. Tvrdošín2.Tvrdošín - Nižná nad Oravou, Left side4,4Not included in the plan before year 2028?3. Nižná, completion2.Tvrdošín - Nižná nad Oravou, Right side4,4202120253. Nižná3.Nižná nad Oravou - Dlhá nad Oravou, Left side8,3 Not included in the plan before year 2028?4. Podbiel, completion3.Nižná nad Oravou - Dlhá nad Oravou, right side8,3Not included in the plan before year 2028 ?4. Podbiel4.Dlhá nad Oravou - Sedliacka Dubová, left side4,9Not included in the plan before year 2028 ?5. Dlhá nad Oravou, completion4.Dlhá nad Oravou - Sedliacka Dubová, right side4,9Not included in the plan before year 2028?5. Dlhá nad Oravou5.Oravský Podzámok-Horná Lehota, left side6,4Not included in the plan before year 2028?Section without exits5.Oravský Podzámok-Horná Lehota, Right side6,420042007902.Temporary connection on I/59 - east 903.Temporary connection on I/59 - west6.Oravský Podzámok - Dolný Kubín, south10,9Not included in the plan before year 2028?6. Široká 7. Kocmáľ
8. Dolný Kubín - centre
9. Jasenová7.Dolný Kubín, south - Likavka, Junction8,7Not included in the plan before year 2028?10. Valaská Dubová 11. Likavka, junction R3xD18.Martin - Sever, junction R3xD1) - Martin1,52011201512. Martin - Sever, junction R3xD1 13. Martin9.Martin - Rakovo14Not included in the plan before year 2028?13. Martin - completion 14. Rakovo10.Rakovo - Mošovce10,3Not included in the plan before year 2028?sections without exits11.Mošovce - Horná Štubňa7,9Not included in the plan before year 2028?15. Mošovce 16. Horná Štubňa12.Horná Štubňa bypass, right side4,7Not included in the plan before year 2028?section without exits12.Horná Štubňa bypass, left side4,720082010904. temporary connection on route I/65 - sever 905. temporary connection on route I/65 - juh13.Horná Štubňa - Ráztočno, junction R3xR214Not included in the plan before year 2028?17. Sklené 18. Ráztočno - junction R3xR214.Budča - Krupina27Not included in the plan before year 2028?19. Zvolen - west 20. Dobrá Niva
21. Babiná15.Krupina, bypass6,5Not included in the plan before year 2028?22. Krupina - north 23. Krupina - south16.Krupina - Šahy35,5Not included in the plan before year 2028?24. Hontianske Nemce 25. Dudince
26. Semerovce17.Šahy - border crossing SK/HU4,8Not included in the plan before year 2028?27. Šahy - sever 906. Temporary connection on route I/66 resp. Permanent on Hungarian motorway M2
Future of construction
Part Tvrdošín - Nižná nad Oravou, first half, under construction Overview of the section under constructionlength of section4,4 kmdate of start of constructionMarch 2022Total construction costs without VAT (NDS a.s. estimate before concluding the contract)202 million EURContractorHochtief SK s.r.o., PORR s.r.o., Hydroekol Dolný Kubín, spol. Ltd.Contractual end of constructionMarch 2025Total construction costs without VAT (Amount in terms of the contract)€132.6 millionConstruction supervisionNDS a.s.Presumption of passage of the sectionMarch 2025The order of the winning bid in public procurementThe second cheapestThe cheapest offer in public procurement without VAT€123.6 millionComment: The length of this R3 section is 4.4 km, despite the fact that NDS a.s. declares its length as 5.5 km. The reason is that the section was shortened because the end of the section was projected beyond the Nižná exit. Part of the section from the Nižná exit would thus not be open to traffic until the following southern section is open to traffic, which, however, was not included in the construction plan until 2028. From the north side, this section connects to the already traveled R3 Trstená bypass, 7.2 km long. The section, like all existing sections of R3, is currently being implemented only in a half profile from the R24.5/100 category. Part of the 260 m long section from km 3,900 to km 4,160 (to bridge 206) will be built in a full profile due to an easier connection to the Nižná exit. Beyond bridge 206 to the end of the section, only the right (western) half-profile of the expressway will be built, which will be connected by the branch of the Nižná exit to the Nižná feeder. After the crossing, this 4.4 km long section will replace 4.7 km of the I/59 road. The section starts north of the village of Nižná. From there, the Nižná feeder will take the traffic to the R3 road itself, which will be led along the eastern bank of the Orava river until it connects to the previous, already passable section of the Trstená bypass. This section of R3 will effectively form a complete bypass of Tvrdošín.
The construction also includes the Nižná feeder, which will be connected to the I/59 road through the roundabout Nižná - north. The construction will include 6 bridges, including one bridge on the branch of the Nižná exit, two bridges on the feeder Nižná, one bridge on the branch of the Tvrdošín exit, one bridge over R3, the Tvrdošín rest area, noise barriers and frame walls. The construction also includes the reconstruction of one bridge, the modification of one temporary bridge over the Oravica river at the Tvrdošín exit and the construction of one temporary bridge over the Orava river at the Nižná feeder. The competition for the construction of this section was launched in the summer of 2017 and lasted for almost four years, during which three governments took turns. The cause of such large delays was poor-quality preparation of tender materials and disproportionately long decision-making processes in NDS a.s. as well as the Office for Public Procurement. Construction began in March 2021, the construction is expected to be completed in June 2023.Template:Minivlajka Výstavba tohto úseku diaľnice je financovaná z rozpočtu Európskej Únie. Výstavbu diaľnice projektuje, objednáva a koordinuje NDS a.s. v spolupráci s Ministerstvom dopravy a výstavby SR.
Trstená bypass The Trstená bypass on the R3 was under construction since April 2008 and after 30 months it was completed on 29 October 2010 the section is completely paved and handed over in half profile. The construction was financed from the state budget and was implemented by the companies VÁHOSTAV – SK, a. with. and Inžinierske stavby, a. with. . The length of the section is 7.2 km. There are 14 bridges and 3 intersections on the section, including two level crossings at both ends as a temporary connection to the roadI/59.
Tvrdošín – Nižná