Debrecen4U
October 8, 2026
Traffic Diversion in Place Near 10 Balmazújvárosi Road Due to Drinking Water Pipeline Renovation
The complex infrastructure development programme on Main Road 33 is continuing. In close cooperation with Debrecen Waterworks, the municipality has launched a comprehensive multi-phase infrastructure development programme. In order to ensure the security of the public water supply and create a modern road network, the works are being carried out in a coordinated, sequential schedule along the section between Bem Square and the M35 motorway access road, Debrecen Waterworks said in a statement issued on 7 October 2026.
The reconstruction of public utilities is an essential prerequisite for the road construction works. The condition of the main public drinking water pipelines running beneath Main Road 33, some of which are already more than 70 years old, has deteriorated significantly due to their age. Both the quality of the pipe material and the condition of the connecting fittings and valves are critical and pose a high level of risk. On the affected road sections, the continuously increasing traffic load further raises the risk of failures in the main public drinking water pipelines, compromising operational safety and making it increasingly difficult to ensure their reliable operation.
In order to prevent more serious failures and possible pipe bursts in the future, which could also cause the road surface to subside or collapse, Debrecen Waterworks is renewing the network according to a priority order before the road construction works begin.
The next phase of the reconstruction concerns the following key junction:
The area around 10 Balmazújvárosi Road (Water Production Site I, Mömax store): renovation of the existing main pipelines and reconnection of the associated pipelines at the critical sections. The construction works will involve closing the outer traffic lane of Main Road 33 in the direction out of Debrecen, meaning that traffic towards the M35 motorway access road will use the inner lane.
Work starts: 8 October 2026
Expected completion: 26 October 2026
About the modern technology in use:
During the specialist works, which require specific technical expertise, professionals will use the so-called Process-Phoenix method. This modern resin-impregnated hose technology involves inserting a new liner inside the existing ageing pipes. Although this modern method is technically one of the most effective procedures, it is hardly visible from the surface. In practice, this means that only two excavations can be seen at the work site on the two sides of the road: a so-called technological launch shaft and a technological receiving shaft. The actual work (installation, joining and curing of the liner) takes place below ground. This does not require a large construction team, but the technological process itself is extremely time-consuming. As a result, people travelling through the area may often see little more than a fenced-off excavation, while much of the work is taking place underground, meaning that the specialists carrying it out may not necessarily be visible on site.
One of the greatest advantages of so-called “no-dig”, or trenchless, reconstruction is precisely that there is no need to excavate the entire width of the road or a long section of it. The construction work requires only two excavations and sufficient space for the machinery used in the process to operate safely. As a result, the intervention affects a significantly smaller area and causes much less disruption for road users.
The reconstruction of the ageing and critical network is essential to ensure security of supply. At the same time, Debrecen Waterworks is striving to carry out the works with as little excavation and traffic disruption as possible. Road users travelling through the area affected by the project are asked to approach the work sites with increased caution and to follow the temporary traffic arrangements and the directions provided on site.
Source: debrecen.hu | Photo credit: Pixabay
