![]() | This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: Roadway on GMaps seems far more complete than this article states..(February 2025) |
D3 Motorway | ||||
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Diaľnica D3 | ||||
![]() Completed Under construction Planned | ||||
Route information | ||||
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Length | 34.8 km (21.6 mi) Under construction: 5.7 km (3.5 mi) Planned: 60.8 km (37.8 mi) | |||
Major junctions | ||||
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Location | ||||
Country | Slovakia | |||
Regions | Žilina Region | |||
Major cities | Žilina, Čadca | |||
Highway system | ||||
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D3 motorway (Slovak: Diaľnica D3) (formerly D18), sometimes called the Kysuce Motorway, is a motorway in northern Slovakia. Initially, it is supposed to be only a two-lane motorway in the Svrčinovec - Slovak/Polish border section, and four-lane motorway in the remaining Hričovské Podhradie - Čadca section. The D3 motorway is part of the main route of the 6th Pan-European corridor and it lies on these E-roads: E50, E75 and E442. When completed, it will become the third longest Slovak motorway.
The construction of the D3 motorway is extremely technically demanding as it takes place in the mountainous terrain of northern Slovakia. There are a total of four tunnels on the D3 motorway with a total length of slightly more than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi). Currently, three of these four tunnels are in operation in a half profile, the Horelica tunnel (605 m), the Poľana tunnel (898 m), the Svrčinovec tunnel (420 m) and one tunnel in a full profile, the Považský Chlmec tunnel (2,249 m)
It starts at the motorway junction with the D1, bypassing Žilina, then goes to the north around Kysucké Nové Mesto and Čadca, having an interchange with the R5, and ends near the village of Skalité, where it crosses the Polish border and connects to Expressway S1. This is one of the most important motorways in Slovakia and a vignette is required to use the motorway.[1]