D7 motorway (Czech Republic)

Prague to Louny

The D7 motorway starts in the north-west of Prague, with a temporary free connection to the I/7 road.

From the Ruzyně off-ramp, the motorway continues in a north-westerly direction towards Slaném, passing the town of Buštěhrad. Near the village of Knovíz, the motorway is currently provisionally terminated and becomes the I/7 road leading up to the junction with the I/16 road at the Slaný-západ MÚK on the right half of the future motorway profile. After completion, the motorway will therefore continue in a north-westerly direction, curving from Knovíz to form the south-western bypass of Slaný, crossing several valleys.

The continuation northwest of Slaný will follow the route of the current I/7 road, which forms the left half of the future motorway profile, except for the section near Písek, where a north-eastern bypass will be created. At Kutrovice, the motorway will then cross a valley, then pass by the village of Třebíz to the border of the Central Bohemia and Ústí nad Labem Region. The section from the border of the regions, including the south-western bypass of the town of Panenský Týnec, was put into operation in December 2021 and followed the previously put into operation section near Sulce (Toužetín), which was put into operation in 2009. From Sulce, it continues past Chlumčany (partially operational in December 2023, fully operational in June 2024) to Louny, where it is connected to its south-western bypass, which was put into operation in September 2023.

Louny to Chomutov

The D7 motorway bypasses the town of Louny on its southwestern edge and creates a southwestern bypass. It will then continue between Louny and Postoloprty in the valley of the Ohře River, to form the northern bypass of Postoloprty. It then leaves the valley of the Ohře River and runs parallel to the Chomutovka River to the town of Chomutov, with the motorway already operational from Postoloprty to Chomutov. The whole section from Postoloprty to Chomutov is typical of the flat landscape. It ends south of Chomutov, and at the Spořice off-ramp, it freely transitions to the I/7 road.

The sections of this motorway already in operation are built in the R 25.5/100 category. The remaining, not yet operational sections of this part of the motorway will also be built in the R 25.5/100 category.^[3] A capacity upgrade was carried out on the 4.45 kilometres (2.77 mi) long section in Chlumčany.^[4]

Future developments

In the future, the D7 will start at a grade separated crossing with the D0 in Prague, next to the settlement of Na Padesátníku. The planning is yet to begin.