M8 (Hungary)

The M8 is a motorway in central Hungary which is still in the planning and design phase of early 2021. This is a sorely needed motorway for Hungary as when it is completed it will create an outer link between many of the radial routes from Budapest. By linking the M7, M6, M5, M4 and potentially the M3 and M25 at approximately 100km away from Budapest, the road will improve connectivity between other major Hungarian cities without the need to negotiate Budapest. Furthermore, through traffic will also be provided an alternative route therefore it is expected to help significantly reduce traffic on the M0 which is a critical part of long-distance east-west journeys in Hungary.

Route

The first section officially designated "M8" opened in around 2008 and despite only being a few miles long it has some interesting features. A large cloverleaf interchange with the M6 is where the journey of the M8 begins. The slip roads which would allow movements to the west are currently closed off with concrete roadblocks and this also included the loops which intersect with the M6 northbound carriageway. The M8 mainline was constructed a few hundred metres to the west of this interchange however it is closed off on the bridge crossing the M6. The current arrangement allows drivers to join the M8 via the C/D roads used to accomodate merge and diverge movements for when the full cloverleaf comes into operation.

Heading east, the mainline soon comes into operation and runs as a section of D3 for the first kilometer. Lane 1 drops off at the next junction which provides access to main road 6 via a grade separated roundabout interchange. The M8 continues east as D2M road and passes through a shallow cutting in a hill. One of the most impressive sights on the M8 is around this point as it sweeps over the Danube across the impressive Pentele bridge which is a large white arch bridge named after the village Pentele which was consumed into Dunaujváros during communist rule in the 1950's.

Soon after the speed limit drops and concrete road blocks reduce the road down to 1 lane. This directs traffic off of the mainline and around the loop of a semi-cloverleaf junction which intersects with main road 51 near Apostag. In a similar way to the western terminus, the whole junction was constructed however only movements to the westbound M8 are permitted with eastern connections blocked off as the main line stops dead into a field.

Throughout the existing length, the road is a full motorway therefore it has continuous hard shoulders and a 130 km/h speed limit. The route distance markers on this section increase from west to east and are a continuation of those on the M6, starting at number 75 which is the shared junction number for the cloverleaf interchange.

Future Extensions

M7 to M6 Section

Approval for the next phase of design was given at the end of 2020. This will be a direct continuation of the stub on the cloverleaf junction with the M6 and will continue in a more or less straight line in proximity to Mezőfalva and Sárbogárd until it meets the M7 at junction 90. It was announced that the road would open as an expressway with regular emergency refuge areas however this likely means it will have a gravel hard shoulder in between to allow for easy upgrade to full motorway status at a later date. Construction is due to begin in 2023.

Eastward Extension

Planning for the eastward extension of the M8 from main road 51 has also accelerated and this will carry the route to meet the M5 at Kecskemét. This section is slightly behind the M7-M6 section however construction is also expected to start in 2023.

Further Eastward Extension

Current plans show the route of the M8 to continue from Kecskemét to meet the M4 at Szolnok. As a part of this section the most northwestern section of the M44 can also be completed which would then complete the entirety of that motorway. This section is frequently mentioned in press released regarding the construction of the M4 indicating that there is a will for this to progress however little information exists on when construction could begin.#

Maps of the Hungarian highway plan show the route of the M8 to continue from the M4 up to meet the M3 head on at the junction for the M25. Very little information exists on any planning for this section of the M8.

History

Up until mid-2020, the plan for the M8 showed a long continuous route starting on the border with Austria and continuing to meet the M7 via Veszprém then continuing on the currently planned route. However at some stage a decision was made to sever the route and remove the section between Körmend and the M7.

Szentgotthárd to Körmend (M80)

Construction started on the most western section of the planned M8 in the summer of 2019 with the first 10 km expected to open in April 2021 and the remainder following in the autumn. This will be a direct continuation of the S7 in Austria and has been constructed as S2+1 and contains quite an impressive viaduct stucture to cross the Vasszentmihály valley. When the recent changes to the highway plan were made, this part of the M8 was renumbered to M80.

This project has been criticised locally due to lack of transparency on the start of the project and the fact that not enough site access roads were built as promised therefore causing congestion on the main road through villages. It has also been critised on environmental grounds due to a local nature reserve which was supposed to protect a forested area of which a part was cut down. Artificial hills have reportedly been built on the lead up to the new viaduct which has apparently made a new valley which didn't exist before.

Main Road 710

At some stage in early 2019 a new road opened which completely bypasses the eastern shore of Lake Balaton. It is a very well aligned road and is a rare instance of an S2 road having a 110km/h speed limit in Hungary. Initially this road began on a roundabout on main road 71 at Balatonkarattya and terminating at Balatonfűzfő. In 2020 an extension of the road was added southwards where junction 90 of the M7 was expanded to provide limited but direct access for movements to and from the direction of Budapest. This junction will likely undergo further expansion to tie in the new section of the M8 when construction begins in 2023. Initially main road 710 running along the east side of Balaton was supposed to be a direct continuation of the M8 which would carry the route towards Veszprém however recent versions of the plans show that this is no longer part of the plan and the M8 will terminate on the M7.

Main Road 8

Some sections of main road 8 around Veszprém were upgraded to later become part of the M8 motorway. This is most notable on the small section running between Márkó and Herend which is a very high quality D2 and feels very close to being a motorway with just the hard shoulders missing. Much of main road 8 runs from Székesfehérvár to just a few kilometers short of Veszprém on the east side is also a high quality D2 which could be a contributing factor in why the M8 plans were changed. In the second half of 2020 construction started on extending the D2 half way around the south side of the city.