The Mohács Danube Bridge Foundation was formed in 1992. with the purpose
of developing the region, economy and traffic of Mohács and its region,
and five counties of the South Hungarian region, and of assisting the construction
programme of the Mohács Danube Bridge. In the past 8 years the foundation
did a long way, and one of its great work was the establishment of the Mohács
Enterprising Area and winning the title. In addition, we deal with pier development,
logistics and improvement of road networks, and we put all them in the service
of the economic development of our region.
During the negotiations regarding the European joining of Hungary, the southern
frontiers of South Transdanubia will be the new Schengen borders. Due to this,
the role of Mohács is revalued, because beyond the leaving procedures
at the border, the V/C. Traffic Corridor (its Hungarian section is the Route
No. M6 - M56) and the VII: Danube Corridor also run through the region.
With the political consolidation of Yugoslavia expected after year 2000, a heavier
shipping transport can be projected on River Danube. Thus the importance of
the leaving procedures and the clearance also increases. All these interactions,
accompanied with the lack of developing the east-west direction Danube road
network, have forcing effect on constructing finally the Mohács, Szekszárd
and Dunaújváros Bridges. It is a very important consideration,
that these bridges are included not only as construction works, but they also
have a considerable region development effect.
With the significant financial support of the Mohács Danube Bridge, the
study and permission preparing plan documentation of Mohács Danube Bridge
were prepared by 15th of December, 1998. This also examines the connection point
of Route No. M6-M56 and Pécs-Mohács road leading to the Danube Bridge
(junction) on the lane of the so-called eastern sector, along Bátaszék-Véménd-Mohács-Udvar
or Ivándárda areas. The massive plan documentation starts with the
region development influence examination of Mohács and its region.
For the purpose of the successful macro-regional effect the meeting point of
the different field specialisations are of primary importance. All these programme
plans are already included in the programmes and plan documents of the Working
Community of the Danube Regions and the Alps-Adriatic Working Community.
The strategic programme of the Mohács Danube Bridge Foundation and the
Mohács Enterprising Area is based on the realisation of the 3 R network
(road, rail, river). The meeting point of the road, railway and river way and
the development opportunities within it make indispensable the realisation of
the feeder road of Mohács Grand Traffic Junction along with the Mohács
Danube Bridge.
The continuously increasing importance of the European traffic problem - including
the widening of the Trans-European road networks beyond the borders of European
Union towards the Central and Eastern European countries (MOEL) - implies the
increased consideration of the Danube Regions.
Thus Mohács City and its region get more and more into the focus of
developments.
For the purpose
of promoting the joining to European Union, Hungary must put the emphasis on the
development of the effective, market conform economic centres, which lies near
to the prospective corridors.
For the initiation of the Mohács Danube Bridge with wide municipal,
county and regional co-operation we started a series of conferences 5 years
ago with the title of "Future of the South Hungarian region".
The organisation of this type of regional discussions are also justified by
the fact that in case of joining to the European Union, Mohács is going
to be the southern border of the Union for a long time, which requires a preparation.
In Hungary several studies, regional plans and projects were made, which intended
to serve the development of certain regions of the country, the acceleration
of regional development or the equalisation of the regional disadvantages.
It is a great pleasure for us, that 3 years ago South Transdanubia became beneficiary
of the PHARE Regional Pilot Programme. Furthermore, we consider it to be important,
that by autumn of 1999. the Complex Development Programme of South Transdanubia
was finished.
Unfortunately, Mohács and its region have not received such attention so
far, that would be worthy for the potential capacities of the region. Not least
of all it, the reason behind it is that Mohács have not played that role,
it is authorised by its geographical position. This role means being a gate between
the eastern and western part of South Hungary. It could not be done, because there
is no bridge over the Danube at Mohács that may provide this connection.
In this case the bridge means more than a construction work. The existence
of the bridge would enable the planning of communication and transport systems
and establishment of modern agricultural, processing industrial and tourism
relations.
In 1993 the process of organising associations of small regions became stronger.
The Mohács Danube Bridge Foundation participated in this process:
· with the development programme of the small regions of Mohács
· with the medium term programme of Baranya County, including the construction
programme of the Mohács Danube Bridge
· with fortifying the traffic development objectives that concern South
Transdanubia (the soonest scheduling of realisation: Route No. M7, Routes No.
M6-M56, Southern Motorway, Transdanubian Motorway, Szekszárd Danube Bridge,
Mohács Danube Bridge)
· with realising the Mohács, Barcs, Lenti Enterprising Areas
· with establishing the Mohács Logistics Centres on the area of
the region
· with complex development of the bordering regions
We consider it important, that the most important elements of the development
strategy of South Transdanubia are increasing the adoption ability of the region,
exploring the internal resources, promoting the development of the competitive
economic structure.
In order to achieve it, the Mohács Danube Bridge Foundation suggested,
that the Complex Development Programme of South Transdanubia most be completed
with a new operative programme:
The construction programme of the Mohács Danube Bridge.
The other reason of the Mohács Danube Bridge Foundation for appearing
in the regional and national programme is, that the Mohács Danube Brdige
determinates the prospective traffic, economic and region development of South
Transdanubia and South Plain. Our third reason is that Mohács and the
Foundation have prepared an ambitious programme for the South Hungarian region,
which includes the bridge over the Danube at Mohács, river pier, logistics
centre and the further development of the Enterprising area.
Our fourth reason is that the South Plain Regional Development Council in its
own development project called the soonest realisation of the Mohács
bridge construction to be a programme worth of supporting.
Our fifth reason is that if the construction programme of the Mohács
Bridge is included in the Complex Development Programme of South Transdanubia,
then it makes compatible the priorities accepted in the South Transdanubian
Regional Development Council in February, 1997:
· Improvement of the traffic "bag" situation of South Transdanubia,
and within it Baranya County. Construction of the Szekszárd and Mohács
Danube Bridges.
· Assistance for establishing Industrial Parks
· Complex development of the bordering regions of South Transdanubia
· Providing assistance for the Enterprising Areas of South Transdanubia
· Complex region (countryside) development programme
Our further reason for the realisation of the Mohács Danube Bridge,
as an operative programme is that the development concerns about 500 thousand
people out of the inhabitants of South Transdanubia and the Southern Plane,
its indirect effect concerns a double statistical region. The regional effects
are fortified by the fact that the Mohács region keeps on developing
itself to be an intermodal and multimodal centre.
