M7 motorway (Hungary)

The M7 motorway (M7-es autópálya) is a Hungarian motorway which runs from Budapest towards the Croatian border at Letenye, reaching Székesfehérvár, then Siófok, a town on Lake Balaton, and the city of Nagykanizsa in the southwest of the country.

The motorway connects with the Croatian motorway A4 at Goričan and forms part of the Pan-European corridor Vb, connecting Budapest with Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, and Rijeka, the largest Croatian seaport. Since the completion of the M7 it is possible to travel on motorway from Budapest to the Adriatic Sea, a popular tourist destination for Hungarians.

The last portion of the motorway to the Croatian border, including the Zrinski Bridge on the river Mura, was completed on 22 October 2008. The road's first sections were built in the 1960s and 1970s. The completion of the last sections was undertaken since 2001.

Openings timeline

 * Budapest – Budaörs (7 km): 1964 - half profile; (this section was extended 2x3 lane in 1978-79)
 * Budaörs – Martonvásár (18 km): 1966 - half profile; (this section was extended in 1972; 2x3 lane in 2001)
 * Martonvásár – Velence (15 km): 1967 - half profile; (this section was extended in 1973; 2x3 lane in 2001)
 * Martonvásár – Székesfehérvár (12 km): 1968 - half profile; (this section was extended in 1973; 2x3 lane in 2001)
 * Székesfehérvár – Balatonaliga (33 km): 1970 - half profile; (this section was extended in 1975)
 * Balatonaliga – Zamárdi (22 km): 1971 - half profile; (this section was extended in 2001)
 * Zamárdi – Balatonszárszó with Kőröshegy Viaduct (14,2 km): 2007.08.08.
 * Balatonszárszó – Ordacsehi (20 km): 2005.06.
 * Ordacsehi – Balatonkeresztúr (25,7 km): 2006.03.27.
 * Balatonkeresztúr – Zalakomár (21 km): 2008.06.26.
 * Zalakomár – Nagykanizsa (15 km): 2008.08.19.
 * Nagykanizsa – Sormás (11,3 km): 2007.08.24.
 * Sormás (Eszteregnye) – Becsehely (4,5 km): 2006.12.11.
 * Becsehely – Letenye (6,5 km): 2004.09.18.
 * Letenye ( border) with Zrínyi Bridge (800 m): 2008.10.22.

Junctions, exits and rest area
Distance from Zero Kilometre Stone (Adam Clark Square) in Budapest in kilometres.


 * Hungary road sign E-016.svg The route is full length motorway. The maximum speed limit is 130 km/h, with 2 active lanes and 1 emergency.svg (2x2 lane road with stop lane).


 * Planned section

Maintenance
The operation and maintenance of the road by Hungarian Public Road Nonprofit Pte Ltd Co. This activity is provided by these highway engineers.
 * near Martonvásár, kilometre trench 30
 * near Balatonvilágos, kilometre trench 90
 * near Fonyód, kilometre trench 150
 * near Eszteregnye, kilometre trench 219

Payment
From 1 February 2015, the motorway can be used instead of the national sticker with the following county stickers:

Toll-free section

 * From Border of Budapest to Egér Street section (5 km – 7 km) can be used free of charge.

Significant artifacts
From Budapest to the Croatian border, the M7 motorway features the following bridges, tunnels or covered cuts:


 * Bridge
 * Zrinski Bridge (Zrínyi Miklós híd; 216 m) over Mur river
 * Viaduct
 * Köröshegy Viaduct (Kőröshegyi völgyhíd; 1872 m) – Longest bridge in Hungary