Transportation Infrastructure Development

External transportation links

The economic life of a city and its urban area is largely dependent on its accessibility; therefore, we promote transport infrastructure development projects to upgrade both the external and the internal road networks.

• The M76 Dual Carriageway Construction Project

By constructing M76 to connect Zalaegerszeg with Motorway M7 and Hévíz-Balaton International Airport, Zalaegerszeg and its urban area will gain unprecedented economic enhancement opportunities.

• M8 connection, M9 motorway

The further extension of the M76 dual carriageway, which is already under construction, in the north-western direction from Zalaegerszeg, with an exit designed to reach Körmend (M8). The design and subsequent construction of Motorway M9.

• The electrification of the Nagykanizsa – Zalaszentiván railway line, restoring the line speed and increasing axle load
• The renovation of the Zalaegerszeg – Rédics railway line
• The construction of a second main line between Zalaszentiván and Zalaegerszeg as well as freight train receiving and departure tracks and a triangle in Zalaszentiván

A project to develop the Hévíz-Balaton International Airport

The opportunities arising from airport development carry significant developmental potentials for the urban area of Zalaegerszeg and for the whole region with a view to both business and tourism.

The advent of the flagship projects has boosted the developments to calm urban traffic. It is essential to work out and implement solutions to manage growing traffic efficiently.

The objectives of the projects for the development of urban transport links are the following:

• • Traffic calming in the city centre,
  • Improving transport links between city areas,
  • The improvement of multimodal community and individual transport systems to reach the outskirts too,
  • The enlargement of the bicycle network infrastructure,
  • Creating the transport environment for a pedestrian-friendly and experience-centred city centre.

• Károly Kovács Urban Development Program

Within the framework of the Károly Kovács Urban Development Program, several roads are planned to be resurfaced and new roads, pavements, squares, and car parks are to be built by 2024. These improvements are designed partly to satisfy certain requirements of the transportation links development projects and partly to create a more liveable city centre environment in terms of traffic.

• Converting Kosztolányi Street to a two-way street

This project, which is planned to be implemented in several stages, attempts to resolve the problems arising from the ever-heavier traffic in the city centre and the excess traffic expected to be caused by the implementation of the city’s flagship projects, and furthermore contributes to the creation of a pedestrian-friendly city centre.

• Expanding the capacity of the roundabouts on Balatoni Street and at the intersection of Highways 74 – 76, respectively, lying at the distance of 300m from each other.

It is essential to enlarge the roundabouts and expand their capacity.

• The construction of a new access road to the north of the city  

The construction of this access road on the north is bound to amplify the economic impact of the development projects and ideas to be implemented in the Northern Industrial Park.

• The continuous monitoring of collector roads and the implementation of any necessary modifications and resurfacing activities

A Karoly Kovacs Urban Development Program already considers resurfacing collector roads as a priority, but also within the next 10 years we are planning to focus on these busy road sections as much as possible.

• A project to accommodate the expansion of the city’s residential area

The ongoing urban development projects are expected to pose several challenges for the city in the upcoming years. After careful examination of arising needs and of the related technical solutions, the respective projects to resolve the problems arising may be launched subject to the decision of the city’s general assembly.

• The development of the bicycle infrastructure network
  • The construction of three new sections of bicycle paths between
    • Mindszenty Square – Zalaszentiván,
    • Platán Road – Széchenyi Square, and
    • Zrínyi Street – Bocfölde administrative boundary
  • Creating the bicycle connection between the city centre, Bozsok and the Csács Arboretum
  • Connecting Botfa to the network
  • Connecting the settlement of Teskánd to the urban network
  • Connecting Csács through Parkerdő and Ságod with the Northern Industrial Park
• Creating a pedestrian zone

A further project idea is to create the transport environment for a pedestrian-friendly and experience-centred city centre by converting Kossuth Street into a pedestrian zone in several stages.

• Projects to increase the number of parking places (while ensuring that the environment remains sustainable)

The city envisages further developments in this field that will not increase the traffic in the city centre any further but will rather do so on the outskirts of the city or in the vicinity of public transport nodes and offer further parking options in the proximity of educational, healthcare and community institutions.

Among other things, such ideas include the following ones:

• • Creating a P+R zone around the city centre
  • Introducing a new digital parking system in the paid parking zones
  • Reviewing the construction of a multi-storey car park
  • Analysing the parking problems that the housing estates standing on their own plots are confronted with: To create more parking spaces, it is necessary to check where an underground or a multi-storey car park could be built in the areas available for development.
• Developing public transport nodes

In terms of transport, the regeneration of the railway station and the central bus station and their environment is one of the vital development projects to improve our city.