Motorways (Dálnice)

This is the highest category of roads in the Czech Republic. Their start and end are marked by green motorway signs and the informational signs on them and leading to them are green. Their road numbers are displayed on a red background. An electronic vignette is compulsory on motorways unless stated otherwise. The speed limit on motorways is 130 km/h.

Highways (Silnice)

This category contains all remaining state-owned roads. Highways have blue informational signs placed on them and their road numbers are 1-99 displayed on a blue background. No electronic vignette is needed on highways, only truck electronic toll is on selected highway sections. The speed limit on all roads is 90 km/h, with dual carriageways having the same 90 km/h speed limit unless stated otherwise.

Other roads

Remaining roads with road numbers of 3 or more digits on blue background are owned and maintained by regions or local municipalities. In some major cities, road for motorcars can be designated on them with a city speed limit of 80 km/h.

Motorcars up to 3.5 tonnes

Each vehicle needs to purchase time-based fee, also known as electronic vignette, before entering the motorway. This can be paid online or in selected official selling places with validity of 1 day (200 CZK) 10 days (270 CZK), 1 month (410 CZK) or 365 days (2300 CZK) . The price of the vignettes are reduced by half for cars with LPG/CNG or biomethane costing 100, 130, 200 and 1150 CZK, respectively. For plug-in hybrids the cost is roughly quarter of the price for ICE cars 50, 60, 100 and 570 CZK, respectively.^[3] However, there are many unofficial websites and unofficial selling places which may charge extra fees or provide bad exchange rates.

Electronic vignettes replaced the windscreen toll vignette (dálniční známka or dálniční kupón) in 2021.

A green motorway road sign means that a paid e-vignette toll is obligatory unless stated otherwise (usually sections from the border to the closest exit or close to large cities). Only sections not subject to e-vignette are designated with an additional road sign (see below).

• A road sign indicating that a motorway sections is not subject to electronic vignette. ≤ 3.5t (placed under the road sign for motorway )
• A road sign indicating the beginning of the motorway electronic vignette (paid on a specific license plate of a vehicle) duty for cars ≤ 3.5t (placed under the road sign for the motorway after the end of toll-free section )

For 2023, the following motorway sections are subject to the time-based electronic vignette duty for motor cars up to 3.5 t:^[4]

More information Motorway, Motorway route subject to a time-based fee (compulsory electronic toll vignette) ...

List of motorway sections

Motorway	Motorway route subject to a time-based fee (compulsory electronic toll vignette)	km L [clarification needed]
	Modletice (exit 76) – Prague-Slivenec (exit 16)	22
	Průhonice (exit 6) – Kývalka (exit 182)	176
	Holubice (exit 210) – Kroměříž-západ (exit 258)	48
	Kroměříž-východ (exit 260) – Říkovice (exit 272)	12
	Přerov-Předmostí (exit 282) – Ostrava-Rudná (exit 354)	72
	Brno-Chrlice (exit 3) – border with Slovakia (exit 61) – in the direction from Slovakia subject to a charge from km 55.5 (rest area Lanžhot)	58
	Mezno (exit 62) – Čekanice (exit 76)	14
	Měšice (exit 79) – Veselí nad Lužnicí, sever (exit 104)	25
	Veselí nad Lužnicí, jih (exit 107) - Úsilné (exit 131)	24
	Jíloviště (exit 9) – Háje (exit 45)	36
	Prague-Třebonice (exit 1) – Beroun-východ (exit 14)	14
	Beroun-západ (exit 22) – Ejpovice (exit 67)	45
	Sulkov (exit 89) – border with Germany (exit 151) – in the direction from Germany subject to a charge from km 149.7 (rest area Rozvadov)	62
	Jeneč (exit 7) – Krušovice (km 42)	35
	Kněževes (exit 3) – Knovíz (exit 18)	15
	Louny-východ (exit 45) – Louny-západ (exit 49)	4
	Zdiby (exit 1) – Řehlovice (exit 64)	64
	Knínice (exit 80) – border with Germany (exit 92) – in the direction from Germany subject to a charge from exit 64 Řehlovice	12
	Stará Boleslav (exit 14) – Bezděčín (exit 39)	25
	Kosmonosy (exit 46) – Ohrazenice (exit 71)	25
	Jirny (exit 8) – Jaroměř-sever (exit 113)	105
	Sedlice (exit 126) – Ostrov (exit 158)	31
	Mohelnice-jih (exit 235) – Křelov (exit 261)	26
	Olomouc-Holice (exit 276) – Lipník nad Bečvou (exit 296)	20
	Vyškov-východ (exit 1) – Prostějov-jih (exit 21)	21
	Držovice (exit 26) – Hněvotín (exit 37)	11
	Bělotín (exit 1) – Jeseník nad Odrou (exit 8)	8
	Palačov (km 12) – Nový Jičín-centrum (exit 21)	28
	Rybí (exit 24) – Frýdek-Místek východ (exit 52)	28
	Dobrá (exit 54) – Žukov (exit 70)	16
	Rajhrad (exit 10) – Pohořelice-sever (exit 23)	13
	Hulín (exit 16) – Otrokovice-sever (exit 30)	14
	Otrokovice-východ (exit 32) – Napajedla (exit 34)	3
	Ostrava-Hrabová, průmyslová zóna (exit 40) – Frýdek-Místek (exit 54)	14

Close

Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes

As of 1 January 2007 a new system of electronic toll aka a distance toll for vehicles with a weight exceeding 12 tons has been introduced for motorways and some roads of the first class (silnice první třídy), totally cca 200 km.^[5] As of 1 January 2010, this applies also to vehicles over 3.5 tons. There is an ongoing public discussion on imposition of electronic toll for all cars and vehicles.

• A road sign informing of the beginning of the electronic toll duty for vehicles > 3.5t
• A road sign informing of the beginning of both motorway vignette (toll label) and electronic toll duty
• A road sign informing of the motorway section subject to neither motorway vignette (toll label) nor electronic toll duty

Before the Second World War

The first informal plan for a motorway (first called in Czech autostráda or dálková silnice) in Czechoslovakia date back to 1935. This was to link Prague through Slovakia with the easternmost Czechoslovak territory, Carpathian Ruthenia (now Zakarpattia Oblast in Ukraine). The terminus was to be at Velykyy Bychkiv (Velký Bočkov in Czech) on the Romanian border. The definitive route, including a Prague ring motorway, was approved shortly after the Munich Agreement on 4 November 1938, with a planned speed limit of 120 km/h.

The Nazi authorities also made the second Czecho-Slovak Republic, already a German satellite state, build a part of the Reichsautobahn Breslau - Vienna as an extraterritorial German motorway with border checkpoints at each motorway exit. However, only a construction of the route within Bohemia and Moravia was initiated, but never finished. It still sporadically appears in some current Czech motorway plans.

On 1 December 1938 Nazi Germany had already initiated a construction of the so-called Sudetenautobahn (in Sudetenland, before the Munich agreement part of Czechoslovakia, then of Germany) in the route Streitau (Bavaria) – Eger – Carlsbad – Lobositz – Böhmisch Leipa – Reichenberg (capital of Sudetenland) – Görlitz (in Prussia, now in Saxony). The autobahn has never been finished, but some remnants in the landscape close to Pomezí nad Ohří, Cheb/Eger and Liberec/Reichenberg are still prominent and an unfinished part from Svárov via Machnín to Chrastava was used in the construction of the I/35 road.

Nazi occupation

Czechoslovakia was broken up with a declaration of independence by the Slovak Republic and by the short-lived Carpatho-Ukraine which was a prelude to the German occupation of Bohemia and Moravia on 15 March 1939. It was decided to build the motorway only as far as the Slovak border. The technical parameters of motorways (speed limit of 140 – 160 km/h) were adjusted to those of the German Reichsautobahn, as Czech (Bohemian-Moravian) motorways were to be integrated within the German Reichsautobahn network.

The project for the first segment Prague - Lužná was ready in January 1939, and construction in Moravia began on 24 January in Chřiby on the Zástřizly - Lužná segment. The construction in Bohemia from Prague began on 2 May 1939, with a switch to right-hand traffic in Bohemia and Moravia having already gone without a hitch. The motorway should have reached Brno in 1940, but building materials and labour shortages due to an absolute priority given to the Nazi armament industry delayed the work considerably. The construction in the route of approx. 77 km from Prague towards Brno advanced notably, but a prohibition of all civil constructions by the German authorities came into force in 1942.

After the Second World War

After the Second World War, the completion of only the first and unfinished 77 km of the motorway Prague – Brno as far as Humpolec was approved by the Government in November 1945 and was reinaugurated in 1946. The part-built construction sites of the Sudetenautobahn (28 km) were completely abandoned, as well as that of the Breslau – Vienna motorway (84 km). The latter was, however, incorporated in some plans as a future connection motorway between Brno and the D35 motorway. The 77 km of the Prague – Humpolec motorway had been completed except for some large bridges and a concrete surface when the new communist government decided to discontinue the work completely in early 1950.

Only on 8 August 1967 the Government of the Socialist Republic of Czechoslovakia resolved to continue the construction of motorways by adopting a new motorway plan for the whole country and resolved to continue the already twice interrupted construction of the motorway Prague - Brno (number D1) and further Brno - Bratislava (D2). The construction was solemnly inaugurated on 8 September 1967. Due to a change of technical parameters, some bridges finished before 1950 were replaced. The Prague - Brno motorway (D1), initiated on 2 May 1939, reached Brno in 1980, a full 40 years after the originally scheduled opening.

The pace of construction of motorways has always been rather slow up to the present day. The first 100 km of motorways on the territory of today's Czech Republic were completed in 1975, 500 km in 1985 and 1,000 km in 2007. Funding for the construction of motorways was radically reduced after the financial crisis in 2008 due to draconian budget cuts, and is currently gaining momentum rather slowly for various reasons.

List of completed roads for motorcars

More information Name, Route ...

	Name	Route
	Městský okruh Praha MO (previously I/29)(Prague City Ring)	Rybníčky – Krč – Braník – Smíchov – Břevnov – Troja
	Chodovská radiála I/8 (Chodov Trunk Road in Prague)	Pankrác - Průhonice (motorway )
	Radlická radiála I/5 (Radlice Trunk Road in Prague)	Bucharova St. - Třebonice (motorway )
	Vysočanská radiála I/10 (Vysočany Trunk Road in Prague)	Kbelská St.- Satalice (motorway and )
	Štěrboholská spojka I/12 (Štěrboholy Trunk Road in Prague)	Rybníčky - Běhochovice (motorway )
	Spořilovská spojka (Spořilov Trunk Road in Prague)	Chodovská St.- Chodov (motorway )
	I/6	Dvory – Jenišov (motorway )
	I/7	Spořice (motorway ) - Chomutov
	I/10	Ohrazenice (motorway ) - Ohrazenice
	I/11	Mokré Lazce - Ostrava-Poruba
	I/20	Nová Hospoda (motorway )- Písek
	I/23	Brno-západ (motorway ) – Brno-Bauerova St.
	I/26	Plzeň-K Fořtovně St.- Ejpovice (motorway )
	I/27	Plzeň-Dobřanská St.(motorway ) – Vysoká u Dobřan
	I/34	České Budějovice - Úsilné (motorway ) - Lišov, interchange Na Klaudě St.
	I/35	Liberec-Hodkovická St.- Ohrazenice (motorway )
	I/35	Křelov - Olomouc
	I/37	Hradec Králové – Pardubice
	I/43	Česká – Brno-Křižíkova St.
	I/44	Vlachov - Rájec, Postřelmov ring road
	I/48	Český Těšín (motorway ) – Chotěbuz
	I/50	Brno-Gajdošova St.– Brno-východ (motorway )
	I/63	Bystřany - Řehlovice (motorway )

Close

Planned upgrade to road for motorcars:

• I/7 Spořice - Křimov
• I/13 Chomutov - Teplice (some parts)
• I/13 Ostrov - Karlovy Vary
• I/11 Ostrava-Vítkovice - Šenov
• I/14 Liberec: interchange I/35 - roundabout Kunratice (direction Jablonec n. N.)
• I/35 roundabout Hrádek nad Nisou - Liberec, interchange Hodkovická St.(inc. border road, only a single carriageway road)^[7]