One of the country’s largest road construction projects is starting near Brno: the junction of the D1 and D2 motorways will be completely redesigned. The aim is to improve traffic flow and significantly increase the capacity of this heavily used route.
The Czech Road and Motorway Directorate (ŘSD) has begun the comprehensive redevelopment of the Brno-jih motorway junction, where the D1 and D2 meet. At the same time, the D1 will be widened to six lanes along this section. Work at one of the nation’s busiest traffic nodes is expected to take two years. Throughout the construction period, a two-lane traffic system in each direction will remain on the D1 – but drivers should still expect significant restrictions.
According to the Ministry of Transport, this is one of the most important traffic junctions in the Czech Republic. Up to 80,000 vehicles pass through daily, a large proportion of which is transit traffic. “The existing system no longer meets current or future requirements. Widening the D1 to three lanes per direction allows better traffic distribution, shorter travel times and higher safety. At the same time, there remains space for potential future expansion of the ramps and access roads,” explained Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS).
The Brno-jih junction serves not only long-distance traffic but also commuters and deliveries to nearby industrial areas. The new design is intended to enable smoother traffic flows. The previous cloverleaf junction will be transformed into a so-called “two-leaf” layout, where the connections between the D1 and D2 will in future consist only of straight or semi-direct ramps. Back in April, the ŘSD completed the six-lane section Brno-centrum – Brno-jih (kilometres 194–196). At that time, there were significant traffic disruptions – a scenario they aim to avoid this time.
“The D1 in the Brno area is heavily overloaded. The capacity limit of the current four-lane section is practically reached. In particular, the major interchanges Brno-centrum and Brno-jih no longer correspond to current traffic flows. During peak hours, average speeds drop significantly, and congestion is common. That is why the decision was made to expand the section around Brno to six lanes,” said ŘSD Director-General Radek Mátl.
In the long term, the Road and Motorway Directorate plans to widen the entire 30-kilometre section of the D1 between Kývalka and Holubice to six lanes. The project is divided into seven subsections and is expected to be completed by 2031 or 2032.
