Construction of the D8 motorway connecting Prague to Germany is scheduled for completion in December this year, according to the most recent announcement by Czech transport minister Dan Ťok. The date, however, is now in doubt. A councillor of the Ústí region, Martin Klika, warns that the 3 km long stretch of the motorway route needs to be firmed up before construction can go ahead.
The Czech Antimonopoly Office has criticized the National Motorway and Road Directorate, saying that work on the 17 km section of motorway has been delayed by 15 years. A massive landslide near Dobkovičky in 2013 as well as lawsuits concerning the route have delayed completion and costs have skyrocketed because of the unstable soil it runs through. In 2004, the transport ministry estimated costs to be CZK 3bn. Lidovky.cz writes that the state has already paid CZK 14bn for it.
