The European Commission approved the Operational Transport Program, the Czech Republic can draw up t

The European Commission approved the Operational Transport Program, the Czech Republic can draw up t
12/5/2015Press releases

The European Commission (EC) today approved the Operational Transport Program for the period 2014 - 2020. It will allow the Czech Republic to draw on EU funds up to 4.7 billion euros (about 125 billion crowns) on the development of road and rail infrastructures. Upon this step, the Ministry of Transport has successfully completed the intensive negotiations with the European Commission on the program form. We practically managed to enforce it in those parameters the Ministry submitted to the European Commission.

"We want to use European funds primarily for a backbone highway network, therefore, R35 linking Hradec Kralove and Olomouc, the Prague circle, a connection with Austria through D3 and Poland through D11," said Transport Minister Dan Tok. He also finds important projects for railways such as modernizing the line Pilsen-Domazlice-state borders which should speed up a connection to Munich or the runway at the Prague airport. "Also, we're going to newly fund a fleet renewal for rail and urban transport from the program, i.e. the infrastructure for trams, subway, and trolley,“ he added.
The main priorities of the Operational Transport Program for 2014-2020 are large infrastructure projects in the area of road and rail transport. "I want us to be better prepared for spending of European funds in the next season and not to be hindered by having just a few projects due to frozen building preparations in recent years. Therefore, we have significantly strengthened investments into project preparations and purchases of land have started running which used to be another obstacle,“ said Tok.
The investments from EU funds will now be also directed to a fleet modernization of rail passenger transport which will significantly contribute to a greater passenger comfort on the Czech railways. The program also includes the development of transport telematics and intelligent transport systems (ITS).
The further goal of the Operational Transport Program is a support for a multimodal freight transport, especially the development of a combined transport. More than ever, its place in the program will have a public transport in electric traction (underground, tram systems, trolleybus systems). These projects include the construction of Line D of Prague underground or a tram connecting the university campus in Brno.
The advantage is a breakdown of the operational program into a substantially lower number of priority axes than it used to be in the Operational Transport Program for 2007-2013 which had a total of seven axes. The division into four priority axes allows for more flexible use of resources and the overall better drawdown of the program.
OPD Priorities 2014 - 2020 (examples of projects)
Road transport:
· Modernization of the D1 highway (i.e. stretches: Mirosovice - Hvezdonice, Humpolec - Vetrny Jenikov)
· Construction of the D1 highway (e.g. Rikovice - Prerov - Lipnik)
· Construction of the D3 highway (e.g. Bosilec - Sevetin - Borek)
· Construction of the D11 highway (e.g. Hradec Kralove - Jaromer)
· Construction of the R11 road (e.g. Trutnov - state border)
· Construction of the R6 road (e.g. Lubenec, bypass, I. stage)
· Construction of the R35 road (Opatovice - Casy - Ostrov – Vysoke Myto - Litomysl)
· Construction of the R48 road (e.g. Rybi - Rychaltice)
 
Rail transport:
· Completion of the modernization of 4th corridor to Ceske Budejovice (e.g. section Sudomerice - Votice)
· Modernization of the line Prague - Kladno with connection to Ruzyne Airport
· Modernization of the line Brno - Prerov, II. stage Nezamyslice - Prerov
· Modernization of the Pilsen - Domazlice - state border
· Modernization and electrification of the line Otrokovice – Vizovice
· Optimizing the route Cologne - Vsetaty - Decin

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