Controlled-access highways in

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

are dual carriageways,

grade separated In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights ( grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tr ...

with controlled-access, designed for high speeds. The legislation amendments define two types of highways: motorways () and expressways (). The main differences are that motorways feature emergency lanes and the maximum allowed

speed limit Speed limits on road traffic, as used in most countries, set the legal maximum speed at which vehicles may travel on a given stretch of road. Speed limits are generally indicated on a traffic sign reflecting the maximum permitted speed, express ...

is , while expressways may be built without them and the speed limit is . According to ''Magyar Közút Nonprofit Zrt.'' (Hungarian Public Roads Ltd.; a state-owned enterprise responsible for the operation and maintenance of public roads in the country), the total length of the Hungarian highway system was 1,855 kilometers in 2022. The construction of the Hungarian highway system started in 1964 with M7, which connected

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

with

Lake Balaton Lake Balaton () is a freshwater rift lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the List of largest lakes of Europe, largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. The Zala River provides the larges ...

by 1975. The total length of the system reached a milestone of 200 km in 1980, surpassed 500 km in 1998 and 1000 km in 2007. As of July 2022, the Hungarian highway network comprises 26 highways (13 motorways and 13 expressways), 12 of which (M1, M5, M7, M15, M19, M25, M30, M31, M35, M43, M51 and M70) have reached their total planned length.

Road categories

Road sign Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduc ...

s are white

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...

on blue and the abbreviation for both types of highways is ''M''. There are 2 main categories of state-owned roads in Hungary: motorways ( – pl. ) and highways ( – pl. ).

Motorways (Autópálya)

*Motorways are public roads with controlled access which are designated for motor vehicles only, and feature two carriageways with at least two continuous lanes each with paved emergency lanes, divided by a

median The median of a set of numbers is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a Sample (statistics), data sample, a statistical population, population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as the “ ...

. They have no one-level intersections with any roads or other forms of land and water transport. They are equipped with roadside rest areas, which are intended only for the users of the motorway.

Expressways (Autóút)

*Expressways are public roads with limited-access which share most of the characteristics of motorways, differing mainly in that: # Expressways may be built without paved emergency lanes. # Expressways are designated for lower speed than motorways. For example, the road curvature can be higher and the lanes are usually narrower (3.5m vs 3.75m). # Expressways can have a single carriageway on sections with low traffic density.

Speed limits

History

First plans for automobile roads

The first domestic design for the creation of ''automobile roads'' (''autómobil utak, autómobil-pályák'') was the work of Boldizsár Vásárhelyi, who prepared the first professional concept in 1941 as his

doctoral dissertation A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...

. It was made in 1941, and in some respects it was more careful than today. Although this draft would not have eliminated the

radial Radial is a geometric term of location which may refer to: Mathematics and Direction * Vector (geometric), a line * Radius, adjective form of * Radial distance (geometry), a directional coordinate in a polar coordinate system * Radial set * A ...

structure starting from

, it would have emphasized the highway in places where there is no main road. For example: to the east between Main roads 3 and 4 as the crow flies towards

Debrecen Debrecen ( ; ; ; ) is Hungary's cities of Hungary, second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain Regions of Hungary, region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. A city with county rights, it was the large ...

, to the south between Highway 5 and the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

straight towards Újvidék and

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

, to

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

further south from Highway 7, thus avoiding

further away, Tab and in the area of Marcali, and also towards

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

by straightening Main road 1 towards the southern bypass of Tata. The project envisaged the construction of 2,000 km of automobile roads on the then twice the national area, essentially including today's outer

ring (The) Ring(s) may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV * ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...

. Out of all of these, only the relocation of the Main road 1 was realized: then the motorway being built followed the route of the relocated main road here as well. At the beginning of the 1960s, the development of Highway 80, which was later developed into the

M1 motorway The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) motorway, A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK; the first motorway in the count ...

, into a highway began specifically as a reconstruction work. At the same time, there were sharp professional discussions about the plans for the M7, which was to be built for the first time in the section between the capital and

Székesfehérvár Székesfehérvár (; ; ; ; Serbian language, Serbian: ''Стони Београд''; ), known colloquially as Fehérvár (), is a city in central Hungary, and the country's ninth-largest city. It is the Regions of Hungary, regional capital of C ...

: the position that a large city like Székesfehérvár cannot be bypassed by the highway gained significant emphasis. In this case, the delay in construction had the beneficial effect of allowing the views to improve. A similar type of debate took place a decade later about the avoidance of

Győr Győr ( , ; ; names of European cities in different languages: E-H#G, names in other languages) is the main city of northwest Hungary, the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron County and Western Transdanubia, Western Transdanubia region, and – halfwa ...

– here only the northern or southern avoidance was at stake – where time also helped to finally build a more modern network solution.

From the late of 1960s

The 1968 transport policy concept considered the eight single-digit main roads as the backbone of road traffic. However, following the settlement network development concept of 1971, an official highway network concept emerged, which, in addition to the eight radial main roads and the complementary

Sopron Sopron (; , ) is a city in Hungary on the Austrian border, near Lake Neusiedl/Lake Fertő. History Ancient times-13th century In the Iron Age a hilltop settlement with a burial ground existed in the neighbourhood of Sopron-Várhely. When ...

and north Balaton roads, contained important

elements: the southern and eastern sectors of the Budapest Ring, a

–

Veszprém Veszprém (; , , , ) is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies approximately north of the Lake Balaton. It is the administrative center of the county of the same name. Etymology The city's name derives ...

–

Dunaföldvár Dunaföldvár is a town in Tolna County, Hungary. Its residents are Hungarian people, Hungarians, with minority of Serbs. History A Bronze Age gold hoard of jewellery was found between Paks and Dunaföldvár on the banks of the Danube in the n ...

–

Kecskemét Kecskemét ( ) is a city with county rights in central Hungary. It is the List of cities and towns of Hungary, eighth-largest city in the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun County, Bács-Kiskun. Kecskemét lies halfway between the ca ...

–

Szolnok Szolnok (; also known by #Name and etymology, alternative names) is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in central Hungary. A city with county rights, it is located on the banks of the Tisza river, in the heart of the Great Hungarian ...

–

Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights, Eger is best known for Castle of Eger, its ...

"inner" ring, and some elements from an "outer" ring,

–

Szombathely } Szombathely (; ; also see #Etymology, names) is the 10th largest city in Hungary. It is the administrative centre of Vas County in the west of the country, located near the border with Austria. Szombathely lies by the streams ''Perint'' and '' ...

– Nagykanizsa, Balatonlelle–

Kaposvár Kaposvár (; also known by alternative names) is a city with county rights in southwestern Hungary, south of Lake Balaton. It is one of the leading cities of Transdanubia, the capital of Somogy County, and the seat of the Kaposvár District and th ...

–

Pécs Pécs ( , ; ; Slovak language, Slovak: ''Päťkostolie''; also known by #Name, alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the fifth largest city in Hungary, on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the c ...

– Baja–

Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...

–

Békéscsaba Békéscsaba (; ; see also #Name, other alternative names) is a city with county rights in southeast Hungary, the capital of Békés County. Geography Békéscsaba is located in the Great Hungarian Plain, southeast from Budapest. Highway 44, 47 ...

– Gyula, and

Berettyóújfalu Berettyóújfalu is a town in Hajdú-Bihar county, in center of the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary, near the border with Romania. It is strategically located, being 35 km south of Debrecen, the second largest city in Hungary, ...

–

Nyíregyháza Nyíregyháza (, ) is a city with county rights in northeastern Hungary and the county capital of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. With a population of 118,001, it is the seventh-largest city in Hungary and the second largest in the Northern Great ...

sections. Within this, the concept envisaged the construction of roads 1, 3, 5, and 7 as Highways. A total of 500 kilometers of highways were expected to be built by 1985. However, the rigid way of thinking of the concept makers of the era left the spatial structure of Hungary unchanged in essential points: the outlined highway network is centered on Budapest, and the roads cross the major rivers (e.g.

and

Tisza The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa (see below) is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. It was once called "the most Hungarian river" because it used to flow entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national bo ...

) exactly where bridges already stood at the time the plan was prepared. In essence, the above was confirmed by the fact that in 1978, the transformation of the radial structure of the main road network into a ring-radial system was already included as a directive in the new transport policy concept. This concept accepts the raison d'être of routes bypassing Budapest, but even this plan only gives space to transversal routes by maintaining the centrality of the capital.

After the fall of communism

In 1988, the need to create European-standard connections to the north–south and east–west transit traffic flow directions already appeared among the priority tasks. This is also reflected in the maturing changes in the international situation, the logical consequence of which in the high-speed network is the adoption of an opening grid structure. The National Road Network Development Program for the years 1991–2000, adopted in 1991, supported the development of

and transverse roads, but did not consider the southern highway (''Déli autópálya''), which is increasingly emerging thanks to the activities of lobbyists, to be feasible. In terms of national borders, the

was the first to reach the Austrian border in 1996, followed by the M15 at the Slovak border in 1998, and the M70 motorway reaching the Slovenian border in 2005. In March 2006, the M5 reached the Serbian border. With the completion of the Zrínyi Miklós Bridge over the Mura at the Croatian border, the M7 motorway also joined the neighboring country's motorway system in 2008. In 2015 and 2020, the M43 motorway and M4 stretched to the Romanian border. In the future, the M3, M34, M6, M60, M8, M85, M87 motorways may also reach the Hungarian border. Plans were made to connect

with an expressway from 1995, and then its implementation took 10 years from 2006 to 2016. The construction was carried out in 9 stages and cost 158 billion forints, with 85% support from the European Union. The bypass section of the city of

Csorna Csorna is a town in Győr-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary. Csorna is located near the Fertő-Hanság National Park. There are two districts in the town: the Földsziget and the Csatárimajor. Etymology The name comes from Slavic languages, Slavic '' ...

, handed over in 2015, became a unique solution in domestic road construction, as it was the first construction of an interweaving and diverging expressway, with the intersection of two roads in different directions. The merging and distribution of the M85 and M86 expressways into a common route was achieved with a 3.5 km expressway with a 2×3 lane track, while two railway lines are crossed together with an overpass. From the 2020s

Highway system

The following is a list of all existing, under construction and/or planned highways in Hungary.

Main highways

M1 motorway

The

is one of the oldest motorway of Hungary. It connects the Hungarian capital with the northwester part of

Transdanubia Transdanubia ( ; , or ', ) is a traditional region of Hungary. It is also referred to as Hungarian Pannonia, or Pannonian Hungary. Administrative divisions Traditional interpretation The borders of Transdanubia are the Danube River (north and ...

, ( Tatabánya,

) towards to

. The motorway is part of the Pan-European Corridor IV, and European route E60, E65 and E75. Average daily traffic is 75,510 near Budapest and 56,421 vehicles/day near

. The construction of the motorway began 1964, it took more than thirty years to reach Hegyeshalom and the Austrian border. Its significance has increased since the change of regime in 1990, and today it is the most important western connection in Hungary. * M19 expressway is a branch of the M1 motorway. This is an introductory road of

and the old part of the M1. * M15 motorway is a branch of the M1 motorway, connecting it with the border of

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

, toward to

Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...

. * M85 expressway is a branch of the M1 motorway, connecting it with the city of

, toward to

(M86) or

and the border of

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

M2 expressway

The M2 expressway connects the northern part of Hungary (western part of North Hungarian Mountains), towards to

Banská Bystrica Banská Bystrica (, also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is a city in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Greater Fatra, Veľká Fatra, and t ...

and

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

. The highway is part of the European route E77. This one is an important route of the Hungarian highway and road network, the northern diagonal main line of traffic forming part of Budapest.

M3 motorway

The M3 motorway is connects the northeaster part of Hungary ( North Hungarian Mountains and northeastern part of

Great Hungarian Plain The Great Hungarian Plain (also known as Alföld or Great Alföld, or ) is a plain occupying the majority of the modern territory of Hungary. It is the largest part of the wider Pannonian Plain (however, the Great Hungarian Plain was not par ...

), towards to

Carpathian Ruthenia Transcarpathia (, ) is a historical region on the border between Central and Eastern Europe, mostly located in western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast. From the Hungarian Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin, conquest of the Carpathian Basin ...

. The motorway is part of the

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...

-Budapest-

Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

line Central-East Europe Corridor V, and European route E71, E79, E573 and E579. This is one of the most important route of the Hungarian motorway and road network, the southwest–north-eastern diagonal main line of traffic forming part of Budapest. Through

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, Eastern Europe, and through

, creates a highway connection to the countries of north-eastern Europe. *

M31 motorway The M31 was planned as a Reading, Berkshire, Reading to M3 motorway (Great Britain), M3 motorway which was dubbed the 'M3 – M4 motorway, M4 link motorway'. It would have provided a direct high-speed route between the two motorways. The motorw ...

is a branch of the M3 motorway. This is an important transit road between the M3 motorway and bypass of

( M0 expressway) * M25 expressway is a branch of the M3 motorway. This is an introductory road of

. * M30 motorway is another branch of the M3 motorway, connecting it with the city of

Miskolc Miskolc ( , ; ; Czech language, Czech and ; ; ; ) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 as of 1 January 2014, Miskolc is the List of cities and towns in Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, ...

and the border of

, towards to

Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...

. This route is fully part of the Via Carpathia. * M35 motorway is a branch of the M3 motorway, connecting it with the city of

towards to

M4 motorway The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is the third longest motorway in the United Kingdom, running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh ele ...

and

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

. This route is fully part of the Via Carpathia. * M49 expressway is a future branch of the M3 motorway, connecting it with the city of

Mátészalka Mátészalka is a town in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary. It is on the Kraszna River, 52 kilometers from the city of Nyiregyhaza. Geography It covers an area of and has a population of 17 ...

, and the border of

, toward to

Satu Mare Satu Mare (; ; ; or ) is a city with a population of 102,400 (2011). It is the capital of Satu Mare County, Romania, as well as the centre of the Satu Mare metropolitan area. It lies in the region of Maramureș, broadly part of Transylvania ...

M4 expressway/motorway

The M4 expressway/motorway is connects the eastern part of Hungary (eastern part of

), towards to

(

Oradea Oradea (, , ; ; ) is a city in Romania, located in the Crișana region. It serves as the administrative county seat, seat of Bihor County and an economic, social, and cultural hub in northwestern Romania. The city lies between rolling hills on ...

and Cluj Napoca). The motorway is part of the and European route E60 and E79. Through

, Eastern Europe creates a highway connection to the countries of eastern Europe.

M5 motorway

The

M5 motorway The M5 is a motorway in England linking the Midlands with the South West England, South West. It runs from junction 8 of the M6 motorway, M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Brom ...

starts from

, it connects the Hungarian capital with

and southeast part of Hungary, towards

. It was the third motorway in Hungary that reached the border. The motorway is part of the

Pan-European Corridor X The Corridor X is one of the pan-European corridors. It runs between Salzburg in Austria and Thessaloniki in Greece. The corridor passes through Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Greece. It has four branches: Xa, Xb, ...

, and European route E75. The motorway was built in the 1980s and reached the Serbian border in March 2006. * M44 expressway is a future branch of the M5 motorway, connecting it with the city of

, and the border of

, toward to

Salonta Salonta (; , colloquially , ; ) is a municipiu, city in Bihor County, in the geographical region of Crișana, north-western Romania, near the Hungarian border. Population According to the 2021 Romanian census, 2021 census, Salonta has a popu ...

. * M43 motorway is a branch of the M5 motorway, connecting it with the city of

Makó Makó (, , Makowe, or , ) is a town in Csongrád County, in southeastern Hungary, from the Romanian border. It lies on the Maros River. Makó is home to 21,913 people and it has an area of , of which is arable land. Makó is the fourth-larges ...

and the border of

, towards to Arad and

Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...

M6 motorway

The

M6 motorway The M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It is located entirely within England, running for just over from the Midlands to the border with Scotland. It begins at Junction 19 of the M1 motorway, M1 and the western end of t ...

starts from

(M0-M6 Interchange), it connects the Hungarian capital with

Dunaújváros Dunaújváros (; also known by #Etymology and names, alternative names) is an industrial city in Fejér County, Central Hungary. It is a city with county rights. Situated 70 kilometres (43 miles) south of Budapest on the Danube, the city is best ...

Szekszárd Szekszárd (, formerly also ''Szegzárd''; ; or ; ) is a small city in southern Hungary and the capital of Tolna County. By population, Szekszárd is the smallest county capital in Hungary; by area, it is the second-smallest (after Tatabánya). ...

and

Mohács Mohács (; Croatian: ''Mohač''; ; ; ; ) is a town in Baranya County, Hungary, on the right bank of the Danube. Etymology The name probably comes from the Slavic ''*Mъchačь'',''*Mocháč'': ''mъchъ'' (moss, Hungarian ''moha'' is a loanword ...

, on the right bank of the

, towards

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...

and

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

. The motorway is part of the European route European route E73, E73. The final section reaching the border is currently under construction with a planned opening date in 2024. The connecting Croatian section is scheduled to be delivered a year earlier. Main junctions: * M8 motorway (Hungary), M8 motorway is a branch of the M6 motorway, connecting it with the Dunavecse, this will be the future plan for connecting the city of

and

. * M60 motorway (Hungary), M60 motorway is a branch of the M6 motorway, connecting it with the city of

and the border of Croatia, towards to

in the future.

M7 motorway

The M7 motorway starts from

, it connects the Hungarian capital with

and southwestern part of

, towards to

. The motorway is part of the Pan-European Corridor V, and European route E71. Average daily traffic is 62,779 near Budapest and 49,273 vehicles/day near

. The motorway was built in the 1960s and reached the Croatian border in October 2008. Main junctions: * M70 motorway is a branch of the M7 motorway, connecting it with the border of Slovenia, towards to Maribor, Ljuljana and

Opening of new highways

Construction of new motorways in recent years has been hampered due to corruption scandals and austerity measures as well as owing to new European rules under which old Environmental impact assessment, EIA assessments lapsed. In the coming years, the highway network expansion focuses on connecting all major cities into the highway network, and on the completion of highways in the border region of

. Construction of non-radial roads continues to be slow. Contracted segments with estimated openings: ;2024 *M6: Bóly (M60 Interchange) – exit Villány (13.9 km) ''(Q1)'' *M85: Sopron Tunnel, section between Sopron-észak – border of Austria (4 km) ''(Q3)'' ;2025 *M44: Kecskemét-észak (M5 Interchange) – Szentkirály (32.2 km) ''(Q2)'' *M6: exit Villány – border of Croatia, towards to A5 motorway (6 km) ''(Q3)'' *M80: Szentgotthárd – border of Austria, towards to S7 expressway (1.7 km) ''(Q3)'' ;2026 *M4: Törökszentmiklós-nyugat – Kisújszállás-kelet (34.3 km) ''(Q2)'' *M49: Vaja (M3 Interchange) – Ököritófülpös (28.2 km) ''(Q3)''

Network size

Hungarian highways network since 1964

Toll requirements

Motorcars up to 3.5 tonnes

The Hungarian system has 2 main type in terms of salary (for motorcycles, passenger cars, buses, trailers, vans up to 3.5 t): # ''time-based fee'' vignettes (Vignette (road tax), E-vignette system) # ''regional'' vignettes (annual vignette for Counties of Hungary, Hungarian counties)

Time-based fee vignettes

All vehicles must have an Vignette (road tax), electronic vignette to use the motorways and expressways in Hungary. Cars, vans and motorbikes up to 3.5 tonnes only need to buy a single vignette which costs 6,400 Hungarian forint, Hungarian forint (Ft) for 10 days, 10,360 Ft for 1 month and 57,260 Ft for a year, from 1 January 2024. The e-vignette user charge system applies to motorcycles, passenger cars and their trailers, as well as cargo vehicles with a maximum permissible gross weight of 3.5 tonnes, campers and buses, and their trailers. These vehicles are authorized to use the Hungarian toll speedway network's roads exclusively with pre-purchased –purchased prior to entering a toll speedway section– road use authorization, i.e. electronic vignettes (e-vignettes). The amount of toll charges depends on the category of the vehicle and the type of the e-vignette. The category of the motor vehicles must be determined according to the official entry that appears in the vehicle registration certificate, based on the maximum permissible gross weight of the motor vehicle and the number of persons it is allowed to transport. Electronic vignettes replaced the windscreen toll Vignette (road tax), vignette (''autópálya matrica'') in 2008. A blue motorway or expressway road sign means that a paid e-vignette toll is obligatory unless stated otherwise (usually sections from the border to the closest exit). Only sections not subject to e-vignette are designated with an additional road sign (see below). All vignettes are checked via Automatic number-plate recognition, ANPR cameras or the Rendőrség, police will pull a driver over and the driver will have to show a vignette via the E-vignette app or the driver will print out a sheet with the payment. If failing to buy a e-vignette the driver will face fines from 18,750 Ft to 74,970 Ft.

Regional vignettes

Valid for the toll expressways of the specific Counties of Hungary, county with annual validity, that is from the time of purchase (from the first day of the current year in case of pre-purchase) until midnight on 31 January of the year following the reference year. Weekly and monthly vignettes are valid from the time of purchase (the payment taking effect), unless the customer specifies the start of the validity period (starting date) of the e-vignette. The vignette is valid until the exit after the county border. The table below shows which sections can be used with which Counties of Hungary, county vignettes: File:KRESZ-8a.svg, A road sign indicating the beginning of the toll road, motorway electronic vignette (paid on a specific license plate of a vehicle) duty for cars ≤ 3.5t (placed under the road sign for motorway or expressway) File:KRESZ-8b.svg, A road sign indicating that a motorway sections is not subject to toll road, electronic vignette. ≤ 3.5t (placed under the road sign for motorway or expressway)

Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes

Lorries have to buy an e-toll Via E-toll app to use the highways and expressways. There are different fares for lorries below 3.5 tonnes and lorries above 3.5 tonnes.

Operators

The network is managed by 6 operators, of which one is under full government control and other fiveare operated by joint ventures.

Main roads with 2x2 traffic lanes

There are several dual carriageway main road sections in Hungary, which are similar in most technological respects to expressways but allow at-grade intersections. Speed limit at designated sections of these roads is 110 km/h or 70 mph. *Several parts of Main road 3 (Hungary), Main road 3:Introductory road of Gyöngyös and

*Several parts of Main road 4 (Hungary), Main road 4: between Budapest and Püspökladány (40 km) (The way between

and Püspökladány is about 165 km/103miles) * Main road 5 (Hungary), Main road 5: Introductory road of

; between

and Kecskemét (8 km) * Main road 6 (Hungary), Main road 6: between

and Tolna, Hungary, Tolna (4 km) * Main road 8 (Hungary), Main road 8: between M7 motorway (

) and

(50 km),

and Herend (11 km) * Main road 11 (Hungary), Main road 11: between Budapest and Szentendre (4 km and 9 km within the city limit of Budapest) * Main road 21 (Hungary), Main road 21: between M3 motorway (Hatvan) and Salgótarján (50 km) * Main road 26 (Hungary), Main road 26: between

and Sajóbábony (10 km) * Main road 37 (Hungary), Main road 37: between M30 motorway (Felsőzsolca) and Szerencs (27 km) * Main road 44 (Hungary), Main road 44: between

and Gyula (11 km) * Main road 47 (Hungary), Main road 47: between

and Hódmezővásárhely (14 km) * Main road 54 (Hungary), Main road 54: Southern bypass of

, between M5 motorway (Hungary), M5 mototway and Main road 5 (Hungary), Main road 5, Mercedes-Benz factory (8 km) * Main road 58 (Hungary), Main road 58: between

and Pécs-Pogány International Airport (10 km) * Main road 67 (Hungary), Main road 67: between M7 motorway (Hungary), M7 mototway and

(50 km) * Main road 83 (Hungary), Main road 83: between

(

) and Pápa (36 km) *A section of Main road 84 (Hungary), Main road 84: between

and the border with

(4 km) *A section of Main road 86 (Hungary), Main road 86: between Egyházasrádóc and Körmend (3.5 km) * Main road 471 (Hungary), Main road 471: between

and Hajdúsámson (5 km) ''Planned routes:'' *'' Main road 4 (Hungary), Main road 4: between M35 motorway (

) and Hajdúszoboszló'' *'' Main road 8 (Hungary), Main road 8: between Herend and Devecser (15,5 km)'' *'' Main road 32 (Hungary), Main road 32: between M3 motorway (Hatvan) and Jászberény'' *'' Main road 354 (Hungary), Main road 354 and 4: between M35 motorway (

) and M3 motorway (

)'' *'' Main road 74 (Hungary), Main road 74: between Zalaegerszeg and Nagykanizsa (50 km)''

European routes

The following European routes pass through

Class A

* : (France, Switzerland,

, Germany, Austria) – Hegyeshalom – Mosonmagyaróvár –

– Tatabánya –

–

– Püspökladány – Ártánd – (

, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China) * : (Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic,

) – Rajka –

–

– Körmend – Zalaegerszeg – Nagykanizsa – Letenye – (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Greece) * : (Italy,

) – Szentgotthárd, Rábafüzes – Körmend – Ajka –

–

– Cegléd * :

–

– Csanádpalota – (

) * : (

) – Tornyosnémeti –

– Füzesabony – Hatvan –

–

– Siófok – Nagykanizsa – Letenye – (Croatia) * :

–

– Paks –

–

– Udvar – (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina) * : (Norway, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic,

) – Rajka –

– Tatabánya –

–

– Röszke – (Serbia, North Macedonia, Greece) * : (Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Poland,

) – Hont, Hungary, Parassapuszta – Vác –

* :

– Polgár, Hungary, Polgár –

–

– Ártánd – (

, Bulgaria, Greece)

Class B

* : Püspökladány –

–

– Záhony – (Ukraina) * : (

) – Vámosszabadi –

* : Görbeháza –

– Vásárosnamény – Beregdaróc * : (Slovenia) – Tornyiszentmiklós – Letenye * : Balatonkeresztúr – Nagyatád – Barcs – (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

References

;General *Magyarország autóatlasz (Road atlas of Hungary), Dimap-Szarvas, Budapest, 2004 *Magyarország autóatlasz (Road atlas of Hungary), Dimap-Szarvas, Budapest, 2013

External links

National Toll Payment Services Plc
(in Hungarian, some information also in English)
Home page of the National Toll Payment Services Plc.Detailed map of the Hungarian motorway system (2021)
{{Hungary articles Highways in Hungary,

Road categories

Motorways (Autópálya)

Expressways (Autóút)

Speed limits

History

First plans for automobile roads

From the late of 1960s

After the fall of communism

Highway system

Main highways

M1 motorway

M2 expressway

M3 motorway

M4 expressway/motorway

M5 motorway

M6 motorway

M7 motorway

Opening of new highways

Network size

Toll requirements

Motorcars up to 3.5 tonnes

Time-based fee vignettes

Regional vignettes

Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes

Operators

Main roads with 2x2 traffic lanes

European routes

Class A

Class B

See also

References

External links