DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
AND OF THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE TERRITORY

The Neogradiensis Euroregion creates conditions for cross-border co-operation in the most important field, namely the development of transportation infrastructure and of accessibility of the common border between the Slovak and Hungarian part of the region. The involved regions - the districts of Lučenec, Veľký Krtíš, Poltár and the Nógrád county - have historical traditions, mutual social and economic relationships. It is the development of transportation infrastructure that triggers not only the improvement of mutual cross-border economic relationships, but also the development of personal relationships between the inhabitants of the involved regions.
The transportation infrastructure is connected to various social and economic functions of the society in order to contribute to the accessibility and development of transportation opportunities (which creates an impulse for the economic relationships in the region) and to support the overall development of the region. Roads and railroads of regional, state-wide and even European significance cross the territory of the Euroregion. On the Slovak side it is a 1st class road E 571 (Bratislava-Nitra-Zvolen-Lučenec- Košice), which traverses the district of Lučenec from the west to the east. The current state of the roadway is inconvenient to the established requirements for a road of its significance. The district is linked to the Hungarian republic by a road border-crossing Šiatorská Bukovinka - Šalgotarján and with a road of local meaning between Kalonda and Ipolytarnóc.

There is also a railroad connection between Fiľakovo and Salgótarján. The district of Poltár in the northern part of the Euroregion is connected to the E 571 main road vertically, the roads of the district are 2nd and 3rd class, but they are important from the view of development of tourist trade, mainly in the winter season for the tourists from Hungary (the localities of Kokava n/Rimavicou, Cinobaňa-Žihľava). Currently there are no road or railroad corridors of state-wide significance in the district of Veľký Krtíš, therefore it is important to develop the communication network in order to connect it to the main roads of international meaning - north to south Budapest - Banská Bystrica- Krakow-Warsawa and west to east Bratislava-Košice. It is also substantial to improve the 1st class road between Veľký Krtíš and Lučenec and the road connecting Veľký Krtíš with the town of Balassagyarmat. The district of Veľký Krtíš is linked to the state-wide railroad network with only one track of regional meaning - Veľký Krtíš - Bušince - Hungary- Lučenec. The M3 highway, which touches the southern border of the Nógrád county, is part of the V. Helsinki corridor - Budapest - Užhorod - Lvov. For the Nógrád county it is imperative to ensure the improvement of road nr. 2 - direction Rétság-Parassapuszta, Rétság-Ballassagyarmat (with a vertical extension in the direction of Veľký Krtíš), which traverses the western part of the county and of road nr. 21 - direction Pásztó-Bátonyterenye-Salgótarján-Fiľakovo- Lučenec, which links the eastern part of the county and the northern part of the Euroregion with Budapest. The significance of these two roads is implied by the fact, that the extension of the main road nr. 2 to the fast transportation artery is included in the state-wide and the extension of road nr. 21 in the regional and county development concepts. The three-pole version features the Bratislava - Košice southern artery as a main direction of interconnection. In this version the Zvolen - Lučenec - Somoskoujfalu section is artery nr. 1 (extension of road nr. 21) while the Zvolen - Parassapusta section is artery nr. 2. The development of road nr. 21 on the Hungarian side in the microregions of Salgótarján, Pásztó a Bátonyterenye is able to directly improve the life of 130 thousand inhabitants. Its impact will also express itself on the quality of life of the inhabitants of the Ózd, Pétervására microregions and also of the district of Rimavská Sobota. Road nr. 2 links Rétság, the town with the most modern industry in the county and also provides connection between Budapest, Balassagyarmat (the second largest town of the county) and Szécsény.

Besides the 90 thousand inhabitants of three microregions on the Hungarian side, the improvement of the road's condition will also affect all inhabitants who lives of the Slovak side. Railroad nr. 81 that created an opportunity for an economic boom of a whole large region between Budapest and Zvolen in the 20st century is an additional significant element of the Euroregion's development - mainly in the area of Lučenec - Salgótarján - Bátonyterenye, but also on the other side of the border. In its current condition it isn't capable of providing a mean of goods transportation, personal transportation is on a low level, too. Without the development of transportation infrastructure the equalisation of social and economic disparities of the involved regions is endangered and it will be impossible to stop the recession of these territories. The current state of the transportation infrastructure does not support co-operation across borders according to the principles of the EU. On the other hand the development of these communication arteries will have a positive impact on the lives of more than 350 thousand inhabitants on both sides of the border.