Košice in broader traffic relations

Introduction

The city of Košice with 236 thousand inhabitants is an industrial center of the eastern part of Slovakia. It is the second biggest and the second most significant city following the capital Bratislava. The city covers 244 square kilometres within its administrative borders.

The city has a strong economic basis. Around 20,5 thousand companies (including tradesmen) seated in Košice account for more than 9 % of Gross Domestic Product of Slovakia which represents about 15 % of industry. The most significant company in the region is U.S.Steel Košice, s.r.o., which concentrates on the production of iron and steel. It belongs to the biggest companies within the whole Slovakia with more than 16 thousand employees. There are more than 600 companies with foreign capital, such as Siemens, IBM, Pepsi Cola, McDonald, Tesco, Baumax, and others. Almost 70 % of them are trading companies. The company Rautaruky Finland created a joint company with the East Slovakian Iron and Steel Works, a.s. Košice. In the city of Košice, there is a network of banks and financial institutions, colleges, research and development institutes, administrative and cultural institutions, hospitals, and others.

Transport

Road transportation

Košice is situated on two main routes of supernational character. The first one is the route in direction west – east, that is the road from the Czech Republic and Austria in direction to Ukraine and to other countries of former Soviet Union. The second important route is in direction north – south, that is the road from Poland and Baltic countries in direction to Hungary and further to the Balkans.

Distance between European cities and Košice

Košice is situated on the crossroad of important European routes E 50 in direction Žilina – Prešov – Košice – Michalovce – border with Ukraine and E 71 in direction Košice – Seňa – border with Hungary. Both of these routes are a part of the north-south express road with a connection E 371 Prešov – Svidník – Poland.



The highway is only between Prešov and Košice. The road E 571 in direction I/50 Košice – Bratislava – border with Austria or with Czech Republic.

The express road communications connect the basic road network – routes of the second category in direction: Slanské Nové mesto - Trebišov Spišská Nová Ves - Vysoké Tatry Jasov - Medzev. The most significant developing axis in the region is the north-south corridor Prešov – Košice, which is a part of an important trade route from the Middle Ages (the so called Amber Route), which lead from the Balkans the north of Europe. The fact that these two significant centres Košice and Prešov are so close, enables an intensive flow of economic and social life and together with its background creates a structure of superregional importance.
There are construction works going on the highway in the city and its surroundings. The highway acces road „Košice“ (covering the position starting in Budimír in Rožňava direction) is in the realization process. This supercity route will also serve as bypass of Košice. After it is finished, the transfer through the city in direction north-south which is the most problematic nowadays, will significantly speed up.



Within the second southern highway route Bratislava – Zvolen - Košice it is expected that the route of the first category in direction Rožňava – Moldava nad Bodvou – Košice will be rebuilt into a four lane road of express road character.It is also expected that the route will be connected to the traffic system.

Nowadays, the city of Košice takes steps to connect to highway network of the west European countries. The highway connection Košice and Miskolc ( about 70 kilometres ) is already connected to the highway to Budapest, is very reasonable from this point of view.

Railway transportation

The railway network is made of tracks of three gauges (normal standard,wide, and narrow gauge line).
Basic railway routes: the main route Čierna nad Tisou – Košice – Žilina – Bratislava is included in the European railway network; the track is electrified the south route Košice – Zvolen – Bratislava; partly electrified These routes serve for international and domestic cargo and passengers´ transport.

Routes of important border crossings: northsouth connection from Poland to Hungary in direction of state border of Poland – Plaveč – Kysak – Košice – Čaňa – state border of Hungary; electrified for about 60 % the wide-gauge line Ukraine – Maťovce – U.S.Steel Košice is electrified. It serves for transportation of goods from Ukraine directly to the metallurgical plant without having to be reloaded to our railway system.



The passengers´ railway station Košice has thirteen transport tracks which are used for passengers´ and cargo transport and for express mail transport.
There can by a maximum of 20 trains to depart the station Košice into two hours. there are 7 IC trains dispatched daily from Košice, in direction Košice – Bratislava. In Bratislava it is easy to catch connection to Austria. there are international passenger trains going to Hungary – Miskolc, Budapest, to Poland – Krakow, Warszawa, to Bulgaria, Romania, and to Czech Republic – Prague, Cheb. It is easy to connect to Germany. there are 46 cargo trains going through Košice every day the railway transportation from Košice is very important also for a combined transport of goods to international water transport (in direction Gdynia, Gdansk, Štetín, Rijeka, Koper).

The east Slovakian reloading stations of normal standard and wide-gauge railway line in Čierna nad Tisou and in Maťovce are of great importance. They are used fortransport of express mails and goods from the countries of former Soviet Union.

Air transportation

The airport is located about 6 km from the city centre and it has a status of an international airport. It is used for civil domestic transport, international cargo and passengers´ transport and it is also used for the purposes of the Military Air Force Academy.

The airport is not fully utilised, nowadays, and has only three regularly operated flights:
Košice – Prague four times a day
Košice – Vienna twice a day
Košice – Bratislava three times a day
The other flights, mainly international flights are irregular and they are headed to other parts of the world.



Currently, a new terminal for passengers is being constructed.

Interport

The fact that the wide-gauge line comes directly to Košice and connects to the railway in Ukraine, Russia and the like, was the reason for creating the project of terrestial port – Interport Košice.



The aim of project is to build an interconnected set of constructional, storing, operating and production facilities for transportation of goods and final assembly, including services. Interport Košice has all preconditions to become a centre of international transit and a commercial bridge between west and east by using all existening types of its transport systems.

The locality of Interport is situated in the neighbourhood of the metallurgical company U.S.Steel Košice, within the production district Bočiar, which with its 500 ha large flat area offers opportunities for its development. The locality is situated 14 kilometres away from the city center.

Prepared by: Department of City Development - Office of the Main Architect