Slovakia: Sitina Tunnel (D2) near Bratislava closed on several weekends (September to November 2026)

The Sitina motorway tunnel on the D2 near Bratislava, the busiest tunnel in Slovakia, will be closed at night on a total of nine weekends between 11 September and November 2026. The state motorway company NDS began the closures on 11 September 2026 at 9:30 pm as part of a comprehensive technical modernisation of the tunnel.

According to NDS, around 72,000 vehicles pass daily through the two roughly 1.4-kilometre-long tunnel tubes beneath the Little Carpathians, more than through any other tunnel in the country. The D2 is part of Pan-European Corridor IV and connects the Czech border at Brodské via Bratislava with the border crossings to Austria and Hungary, including the direct Kittsee border crossing between Vienna and Bratislava. Travellers on their way between Austria, Czechia and Slovakia can practically not avoid this tunnel.

What is being done at the Sitina tunnel?

The tunnel has been in operation since 2007 and is therefore almost two decades old. In the comprehensive refurbishment currently underway, NDS says it is overhauling the tunnel's technical equipment from the ground up, including lighting, ventilation, fire-extinguishing water pipes and safety technology.

Similar autumn programmes are also running at other Slovak motorway tunnels in 2026, for example at the Višňové tunnel on the D1, where the state motorway company is likewise carrying out a multi-week night-closure programme.

Key dates at a glance

The closures began with the one from Friday, 11 September 2026, 9:30 pm, until shortly before the morning rush hour on Saturday. The second closure followed from Saturday evening, 9 pm, until Sunday morning, before the tunnel was closed again from Sunday evening until Monday morning. From Monday to Friday, the tunnel remains open to traffic without restriction. The closure pattern is repeated on the weekends of 18 to 21 September, 25 to 28 September, as well as on three October weekends (2, 9 and 16 October). From 23 October, NDS continues the closure programme into November.

During the night closures, traffic in both directions is diverted onto Bratislava's city road network, including via the Patrónka intersection. NDS has deliberately opted for closures limited to weekends and nights so that the tunnel is available without restriction on working days.

Tolls in Slovakia

In Slovakia, vignette obligation applies to cars, cars with trailers and motorhomes up to 3.5 t gross vehicle weight. Motorcycles are exempt from the vignette requirement. For vehicles over 3.5 t gross vehicle weight, distance-based tolling applies instead, via the electronic eMYTO system using an on-board unit. There is no special toll in Slovakia.

Anyone travelling through other countries in addition to Slovakia often saves money with the Europamaut flat rate: for 12.80 euros per month, vignettes for all supported countries are included, with no minimum term and cancellable at any time.

The Europamaut team wishes you a pleasant journey!

For more information, please visit our overview page on the Slovakia vignette as well as the page Tolls in Slovakia. Anyone who would also like to learn about further roadworks in the country can find all the details in our articles on the maintenance of the Višňové tunnel and on the new traffic rules in Slovakia. If you have any questions, you can reach us at any time by email.