The ministry has approved new highways: Use the D99 or D20 route instead of the D5 in congested Prague.

April 04, 2025

Czech Republic is embarking on the planning of new motorways that have never appeared on any map before. Overall, the development of several hundred kilometers of routes is expected, which will connect to the core network under construction in the 2030s. HN already presented the nine planned projects a week ago. Meanwhile, the project has also been approved by a ministerial committee, and for the first time, ŘSD has provided more precise maps of the corridors to some journalists. It is assumed that the final routes may significantly differ. The preparation of maps on a 1:10,000 scale has just begun. The new concept is based on the current situation of Czech road transport.

The original motorway network conceived in the 1960s is significantly Prague-centric. In the reality of the 21st century and with the increasing number of cars, this results in exceptionally dense traffic and frequent congestion around the capital. "The study aims to improve connections between county seats and reduce traffic load at major urban junctions such as Prague and Brno," said František Jemelka, spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport. Plans include the creation of three new motorways: a Central Bohemian ring road, designated as D99, which will form the outer ring of Prague's still only partially realized ring road, the D0. It will roughly follow the route Hořovice – Nový Knín – Benešov – Sázava – Český Brod – Lysá nad Labem – Mělník – Velvary – Stochov. The connector between the D6 and D5 motorways will run closer to Prague, along the Unhošť–Beroun axis. The second significant motorway will be established between Plzeň and Písek all the way to the D1 near Jihlava along the current I/20 road. This would be the future D20. The third motorway will branch off before Brno from the D1 and lead to Prostějov, passing through Kuřim. The plan also includes three-lane roads: from Stod to Plzeň, from Prague to Neratovice,

from Turnov to Jičín, and from Brno to Moravská Třebová. The plans may still change, as is typical of the study's nature. "For example, the three-lane Písek – České Budějovice section is currently missing from the map, while the I/73 (Brno – Moravská Třebová) route will ultimately be entirely four-lane," said Radek Mátl, head of ŘSD. Additionally, the study notes the need for further routes that aren't even marked on the map: the connection between the D1 and D2 motorways between Holubic and Chrlice, as well as a new D37/38 motorway from Jihlava to Chlumec nad Cidlinou and Pardubice area. Simultaneously, preparations are underway for three-lane roads such as the I/16 from Mladá Boleslav to Jičín and the I/81 from Hradec Králové to Vamberk. The study's development began last year, and road builders have also consulted with the counties.

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