Monday, August 3, 2026, will bring two pieces of news for drivers in the Trnava region. The good news concerns the city of Sereď, where a new bridge over the railway will finally open. The less pleasant news is that the free passage on the R1 expressway section will end at the same time, so a valid vignette (electronic toll sticker) will be required again.
If you regularly travel between Trnava and Nitra and have used the toll section without a vignette (electronic toll sticker) until now, check it right away. After August 3, traveling without a valid vignette may result in a fine.
Which section becomes toll
It concerns the section of the R1 expressway between the Sládkovičovo and Dolná Streda interchanges — this is the route drivers used to bypass Sereď during the bridge closure. The Slovak Ministry of Transport officially warned drivers about the return of tolls starting August 3.
The Slovak diaľničná známka (electronic toll sticker) often appears in announcements. It is an electronic vignette without a paper carrier: when purchased in the system, the car number is simply registered.
Why was the passage free here at all
The story began on May 11, 2023, when the bridge over the railway track in Sereď was closed due to an emergency condition: the structure could collapse. Restrictions for freight transport were introduced even earlier, in 2019. The bridge, built in 1950, long needed major repairs.
The closure effectively divided the city into two parts, with almost no connection between them. According to the mayor of Sereď, residents of the industrial part spent over 100 euros more per month on fuel due to detours. The cost of garbage collection and public transport also increased because long-distance bus lines also bypassed the city.
To ease the situation somewhat, in July 2023 the Ministry of Transport temporarily canceled the toll on the mentioned R1 section. Therefore, drivers could bypass Sereď on the expressway without a vignette (electronic toll sticker).
What the new bridge will be like
The old bridge was completely dismantled, and the new one was built by the company Doprastav. It is wider than the previous one, with a two-way bike path and a sidewalk for pedestrians. While the work was ongoing, pedestrians used a temporary bridge nearby.
The final acceptance inspection of the structure was conducted on July 27, 2026, and the official opening is scheduled for August 3. For the city, which lived with detours for over three years, this is a long-awaited event.
Where in Slovakia you can still drive without a vignette (electronic toll sticker)
The end of the grace period on the R1 does not mean there are no more free sections. Currently, a vignette is not required on these sections:
D2 (Brodské – Kúty) — near the border with the Czech Republic;
D1 (Liptovský Mikuláš – Liptovský Peter) — in Liptov;
D1 (Poprad Východ – Spišský Štvrtok) — near Poprad.
In addition, since August 1, 2024, the government has significantly expanded the list of free sections: these became bypass roads around large cities — Bratislava, Nitra, Žilina, Košice, Prešov, and Poprad. If you only drive in the city and on bypasses, you may not need a vignette (electronic toll sticker) at all.
What drivers should do
If your route passes through Sereď on Monday, do two things before the trip.
Check if your vignette (electronic toll sticker) is valid: annual, 30-day, or 10-day. You can do this on the official electronic vignette website by entering your car number.
If you don’t have one or it has expired, buy a new one before entering the toll section. If you rarely use the highway, a short-term 10-day option is enough.
Remember: cameras on Slovak highways automatically read license plates, and the fine for driving without a vignette (electronic toll sticker) is much higher than its cost. After three years of free passage, the control system on the R1 is fully operational again.
