M1 motorway extension with ITS lane

The M1 motorway expansion is scheduled to start in September 2025. Smart motorways have existed in other countries since 2010! It is expected to take 4 years to complete! It is the busiest motorway in our country, used by 100 000 vehicles a day, and has been under constant minor and major maintenance for decades. Accidents occur on a daily basis due to congestion, quality and, of course, motorists’ inattention, which complicates an already bad situation!

The first phase will be the reconstruction of the section between the M0 and the Concó rest area in Acs. They want to widen the track to 2×3 lanes. The aim is to have 2×3 lanes + ITS lane on the Budapest-Győr line. The ITS lane is the smart lane. Between Győr and Hegyeshalom, the motorway will not be widened any further, so the bottleneck will remain, but there will be an ITS lane to facilitate traffic flow and to be used as an extra lane if needed. It will use digital displays to guide drivers and will also show whether we can drive in the ITS lane!

But does this also mean that there will be no dedicated stop lane? It is promised that it will be able to operate as a full stop lane.  This will require coordinated operation – a multitude of radars and cameras – to respond quickly to an accident or a breakdown!

Around 2028-29, tri-laning of the M7 motorway will also begin, which is also long overdue!

A new expressway is also planned, the M200, which will connect Székesfehérvár-Komárom, linking the M1 and M7 motorways.

Since we are a company based in Tatabánya and we are involved in the construction and modification of the above-mentioned sections, we are looking forward to next year with mixed feelings, since from then on, the work of our colleagues will be repeatedly complicated for years by the diversion and possible speed limits due to construction work !