Kosice, 26 July (TASR) – Construction of the next phase of the Kosice bypass between Haniska and Saca, for which a public tender has been launched, could begin in a year’s time, Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee) stated in a video posted on social media on Sunday.
        According to him, the motorway bypass should help ease traffic congestion. “The bypass will run very close to the steelworks, which means that lorries heading there will no longer have to drive through the city or along the lower-class roads in the surrounding area. So the impact will be significant,” he said.
        The estimated value of the contract for the construction of the 6.8-kilometre section is €162.5 million, ex-VAT. However, the final price will be determined by the outcome of the public tender. “Construction of the bypass could begin in about a year’s time, and I believe that if the public procurement process concludes on schedule, as expected, it could even be sooner,” added the transport minister.
        The first phase of the Kosice bypass will complement the existing, over 14-kilometre stretch of an expressway, which Kosice residents have been able to use for around half a year.