The business magnate Radim Jančura is calling on the Czech government to investigate why newer sections of the D1 motorway, those built just 20 to 25 years ago, are falling apart already. The sections of road now being replaced are already 40 years old, but have withstood the test of time. More specifically, he wants to speak to prime minister Andrej Babiš, claiming that the current transportation minister won’t admit anything’s wrong. “If nothing is done and we just let it be, there’s a real danger that in 20 years, we’ll have to build the entire D1 again, with all the negative impacts that would have on transportation.” It’s a serious issue for Jančura, the founder of the successful bus line Student Agency.
“With the new motorways, we see cracks forming after seven years, which grow and expand into a sort of spider’s web,” says Vit Šmauler of the Construction Faculty at ČVUT. The best of example of this, according to HN, is a section of the D5 that’s now 21 years old between Pilsen and the German border near Střibro. Sections of the Prague bypass are also already showing signs of wear.
