Ceremony marks opening of last stretch of D8 motorway, traffic restrictions in place

Ceremony marks opening of last stretch of D8 motorway, traffic restrictions in place The 16-kilometre missing link of the D8 motorway between Prague and the German border towards Dresden was officially opened Saturday with the project still mired in controversy. Only one lane will be open at one stretch of the motorway due to continued concern about the geological stability of the land there. The stretch was subject to a landslide previously. The minister of transport has given assurances that the two-kilometre stretch is stable but it is unclear how long the lane limit will last. Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, who did not attend the opening ceremony, has said the saga of the D8, which has taken 32 years to complete since the first plans were drawn up, should be broached in Cabinet on Monday. He added that the problem stretch of motorway might be closed altogether.

Author: Chris Johnstone