After years of discussion and disputes regarding the route of the Zvolen bypass, the Slovak Ministry of Environment has selected the preferred path that will not affect the city of Zvolen directly but will instead run near the thermal waters of Sliač. This decision was pivotal for the completion of the missing section of the highway connection between western Slovakia and Lučenec, which has been anticipated for several years.

Despite the selection of the bypass route, the actual construction is not expected to begin anytime soon. Significant hurdles remain, including the preparation of additional project documentation, the approval of the construction plan, land expropriation issues, and the contractor bidding process. Moreover, there is still the possibility for appeals against the ministry's decision, which could further delay the project, making the timeline uncertain.

As a result, the Slovak Ministry of Transport has not provided a specific timeline for when construction might commence or when motorists could begin using the new highway. The completion of the bypass is projected to take around five years, based on the current progress, but this timeframe may change if legal or bureaucratic challenges emerge along the way.