Luxembourg, LuxemburgThe European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending EUR 300 million for the construction of five motorway sections in Slovenia, with a total length of 50 km. The loan will help to complete the motorway network in Slovenia, which is an important transit country for passengers and goods.

The loan will co-finance the construction of the following five new motorway sections: Sentvid-Koseze (5.5 km), Vrba-Peracica (9.8 km), Ponikve-Hrastje (7.2 km), Pluska-Ponikve (7.6 km) and Slivnica-Drazenci (20 km). The first four sections are located in the Trans-European Transport Network’s Corridors V and X (which are crucial routes connecting Slovenia with the neighbouring countries), while the last section provides access to this network.

The extended motorway network will help Slovenia to become better integrated into the European Union and provide important transport links with Croatia, an EU accession state. It will improve road safety and increase capacity, thus helping to cope with the increase in the flow of traffic that has been seen in recent years.

The state-owned company Druzba za avtoceste v Republiki Sloveniji d.d. (“DARS”) is the borrower, project promoter and final beneficiary of the loan. The EIB has a very strong record of cooperation with this company and has already provided DARS with nine loans amounting to EUR 943 million for the construction of Slovenia’s motorways.