FROM 16 JUNE A SHORT SECTION OF THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY QUAY WILL BE CLOSED FOR TRAFFIC

The commencement of construction works of the inclined shaft to house the moving staircases of the Szent Gellért Square station of the 4th line of the metropolitan is harmonized with the construction of the main sewer in Buda. For the harmonization of the two projects a short section of the lower and upper quays on the Buda side between Bertalan Lajos Street and the Szent Gellért Square will be closed temporarily for traffic from 16 June to 20 August.

The decision was made due to the shorter duration of traffic restrictions, otherwise this period in the summer is the most advantageous for passengers crossing this area due to the break-up and summer holidays.

The two major infrastructural projects in progress in Budapest: the construction of the 4th line of the metropolitan and the main sewer on the Buda side connecting to the Central Waste Water Treatment Plant converge in the relatively small area of the Szent Gellért Square. It is impossible to harmonize these two projects without major traffic restrictions. Of the two options of traffic restrictions the experts chose the one of shorter duration but impacting a larger area instead of a more protracted one.

By the initial plans the construction of the inclined shaft of the future Szent Gellért Square metro station was scheduled to begin in May 2009. This shaft is of decisive importance from the point of view of the completion of the entire project to the deadline. According to the current schedule it is more convenient to build this structure before the expected arrival of the tunnel boring machines in the autumn, which may be completed by one year earlier as a result of the joint closing for traffic of the quays.

In the light of the typically reducing traffic in this period of the year the experts decided to close the lower and upper quays together for speeding up the works and reducing the duration of traffic restrictions. For this reason a temporary carriageway at Gellért Square as a continuation of the Budafoki Road will be built to channel car traffic from the Budafoki Road towards the Erzsébet Bridge.

Between June 16 and August 20 2008 the suggested detour of the quays is along the Budafoki and Bartók Béla Roads. Though further closures and restrictions are expected later in this area until 2010 following the completion of the construction of the inclined shaft, the section of the upper quay in front of the Technical University may temporarily be reopened for traffic.