Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó has announced that his country is ready to step up negotiations on provision of a loan of USD 50 million for construction of roads in the Zakarpattia region, particularly a bypass road around Berehove. This was reported by the mukachevo.net publication. 

“In the spirit of restoring the foundation for trust, the Hungarian side is ready to step up the provision of a loan of USD 50 million for financing construction of roads in Transcarpathia,” Szijjártó said. 

According to the publication, the construction of the 14-kilometer road recently stopped due to the bureaucratic procedures for processing the relevant paperwork and purchasing the land plots through which it will pass.

It was reported in 2015 that local self-governments had transferred 54 hectares of land to individuals for private use despite being aware of the plan to build the road. The land now needs to be repurchased at market price. 

Construction of the road began in 2008. However, only overpasses over a 55-meter railway line and 109 meters of road were built before the project was suspended.

The bypass road is expected to connect the region’s main transport arteries, redirect traffic from Hungary to the Luzhniki-Berehove-Mukacheve-Kyiv highway, and relieve traffic on the Zakhon-Chop highway and downtown Berehove.