D47 before completion

Construction of the D47 motorway, which after it has been completed, will become part of the D1 motorway, is coming to an end after seven years. Currently construction workers began to lay concrete road surface on the last leg of the road between Bohumín and the Polish border. It should be operational within a year and linked to the Polish motorway A1a. The final stretch should be put into service next year in spring.

The construction of D47 began to be an issue in 1963, the future of the motorway has been discussed by politicians since the early 90s. The foundation stone was first laid down by former Prime Minister Miloš Zeman in 1998 and again four years later. At that time, the motorway was going to be built by Israeli company Housing and Construction for more than CZK 100 billion. A number of uncertainties appeared around its construction and financing. In 2003 the government of former Prime Minister Vladimír Špidla cancelled the agreement with the Israelis. The Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic (ŘSD) then started to built D47 for state money a year later.