D1 Reconstruction - section Lipník nad Bečvou - Ostrava

19^th January 2023

D1 is the oldest and also the longest motorway in the Czech Republic. This essentially means that it is, non-surprisingly, the most repaired one. In the past, our company has had a number of contracts regarding the Czech motorway network and even now our team is currently working on the reconstruction of the traffic lanes (in both directions) in the section between Lipník nad Bečvou and Ostrava.

Drivers currently have to be prepared for various restrictions in the almost fifty-kilometre section between, particularly from the Exit 297, which leads to Bílovec. COLAS CZ, a.s. was awarded a contract by the ŘSD (road and motorway directorate) for a complete repair of the surfaces that were finished in between the years 2008 - 2010. Due to dense traffic, age and climatic conditions, a number of cracks have formed in this section.

In addition to the demolition and milling of the asphalt mixture and, in some sections, also of the cement-concrete cover and the laying of new surfaces, further works await our team. In the motorway section, there are also local height corrections of the level needed to be performed, including rehabilitation of base layers and ledges. Colas CZ, a.s. will also focus on additional bridge decking and setting up low voltage lines.

Collapsed Slope Reinforcement

As a part of the motorway reconstruction, the collapsed slope near the border of the Olomouc and Moravian-Silesian Regions is going to be treated. In this location, it will be necessary to remove the degraded soil and replace it with gravel fraction 63/125, whereas drain leaders are also planned to be built. The last phase of the D1 repair from Lipník nad Bečvou to Ostrava will also include the renewal of the horizontal traffic signs.

The good news for drivers is that the motorway will be passable in both directions during the whole process, as only the lane currently being reconstructed is going to close. In practice, this means that traffic will be diverted into two narrowed lanes or switched to an opposite direction. The entire construction is split into eight stages; the schedule assumes that the construction will be done in such a way that traffic restrictions will not affect the entire length of the repaired D1. Although the speed is limited to 80 km/h in the sections currently being reconstructed, lots of drivers do not respect it. Unfortunately this happens often in many other places within the Czech motorway network. For us, this means a heavily increased risk to our workers. "We have to work with the utmost caution, as workers are often only separated from the heavy traffic by plastic traffic signs," explains Jiří Opravil, Manager of the Area EAST Headquarters.

Another Major Referral

This year, construction works are taking place from September to November, taking a winter technological break into account. They will start again during the next spring and should be completed in the course of 2023.

The brand new surface between Lipník nad Bečvou and Ostrava will ensure much safer and smoother driving. However, our longest and oldest motorway will have to wait for its full completion. Out of the entire route, there is still one part missing - a roughly ten-kilometre section near Přerov. ŘSD expects to open it in 2025.