State Auditors Warn 40% of Regional Bridges in Poor Condition as Counties Lack Maintenance Funds

Nearly 40 percent of bridges managed by Slovakia's regional governments are in very poor condition, according to a new report from the Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ), the country's state auditing authority. The audit found that counties can only maintain the existing state of regional roads while bridge conditions continue to deteriorate, with almost every second regional bridge now in poor technical condition. The Supreme Audit Office has recommended that regional governments increase cooperation with each other in road maintenance and repair efforts. Slovakia's regional road network includes secondary and tertiary roads managed by the country's eight regional governments, which have struggled with insufficient funding for infrastructure maintenance in recent years.