SLOVAKIA: On June 30 Bratislava council approved construction of the first phase of a long-awaited urban transport backbone which will be centred on a north-south light rail route connecting Safárikovo námestie in the city centre with Bosákova ulice in Petrzalka.
This will involve heavy renovation of the old bridge across the Danube which has been closed to traffic since May 2010. A second st age will extend the line southwards to Janíkov Dvor, and the last stage will involve an extension north from Safárikovo námestie to Bratislava Hlavná station. The majority of the €500m cost of the project will be funded by the EU, with the first phase scheduled for completion in 2015. The disused ZSR line between Predmestie and Filiálka will be rehabilitated, with Filiálka station becoming a terminus for trains arriving from Pezinok, Trnava, Galanta and Senec.
Long-term plans include a 2·5 km tunnel under the Danube for use by both heavy rail and trams.
