Summary. A summary of the expert article from the society's 35th anniversary volume. The full article is available to download below.
The expressway through Maribor arose in response to rapid growth in motorisation and transit traffic that ran through the city centre. The goal was a modern four-lane north to south road connecting the directions toward Zagreb and Ljubljana and toward Graz and Vienna, while relieving the city core. Because of its scale and financing, the project was divided into several phases, with the Republic Road Community and the Municipality of Maribor as investors.
Construction ran from the first phase in 1978, when Tržaška and Ptujska cesta were rebuilt, through demanding works in Pobrežje and Melje with a two-level bridge over the Drava, to the sections toward Pesnica and toward Slivnica. Among the most demanding works were cuttings, pile walls, overpasses and the railway underpass beneath the Tezno station.
The final section was opened to traffic in 2000 and 2001, completing the four-lane expressway through the city after 22 years. The project marked the society's activity and represented one of the largest road-construction undertakings in Maribor.
