After eight years, the last narrowing measures on D1 motorway between Mirošovice and Kývalka disappeared. More than 10 construction companies worked under full traffic and built brand new 160 kilometres of the motorway. Over 1,000 workers and tens of machines were working at one time, some works were done also during nights. Finishing D1 motorway means that drivers can get from Prague to Brno in two hours without speed limits or traffic lanes narrowing.
Exactly 50 years ago, on 12 July 1971, first drivers enjoyed the newly opened D1 motorway between Prague and Mirošovice. Since then, D1 has changed drastically and in the last 7 years construction workers and engineers have completely rebuilt 119 kilometres of the motorway under its full operation. The remaining 41 kilometres will be finished by October.
This weekend, the final construction season on D1 has begun. On Friday, warning signs and protective barriers were deployed, and on Saturday 20 February, the modernisation of a section 23 Devět křížů (EXIT 168)–Ostrovačice (EXIT 178) in direction to Brno started. As of Monday, drivers will drive in a 2+2 mode in carriageway in direction to Prague. Works on the other sections will start in the course of March.
After a complete reconstruction, the highest bridge on D1 is fully open. The bridge Vysočina by Velké Meziříčí, which is 425 metres long and 70 metres high, was widened to 12.5 metres. The bottom part of the bridge was reconstructed and the surface is protected against corrosion. The modernisation roadworks on section 19 of D1 ended on Sunday 29 November.
This year, the roadworks on D1 have been the longest and most restricting. The modernisation took place on 7 sections in a total length of 71 out of 160 kilometres concerned between Mirošovice and Kývalka. During the winter break, all works will be stopped and the motorway will remain fully open.
Starting from Monday, the first set of detection cameras on the modernized D1 will monitor if the 80-kilometre speed limit is observed. The six-kilometre section near Velké Meziříčí will collect data for the police, which will then send the committed offences to the relevant municipality with extended powers. Even this year, the aim of this traffic safety event is to calm down traffic in the narrowed sections and protect workers at the construction site at the same time.