WIN–PORT Invest s.r.o., a company linked to IURIS Invest, has long discussed the possibility of building a new harbor in the Vlčie Hrdlo area. This massive project aims to create a large transshipment hub. Today, the investor revealed more details about the project, named Harbour Park.
New Basin and Thousands of Jobs The vision for a new cargo harbor in Vlčie Hrdlo has existed for over a decade and a half. Its goal is to strengthen Bratislava’s international significance as a trading port while also creating modern conditions for transshipment through a multimodal terminal. Another goal is to move cargo traffic from the Winter Harbor, which could then be transformed into a passenger terminal or marina for small personal vessels.
WIN-PORT Invest s.r.o. has today presented more details about the trimodal harbor project (water, road, and rail transport) Harbour Park, located in Vlčie Hrdlo, Bratislava. “Based on cooperation and input from the Ružinov district, which has a key interest in developing a trimodal harbor here, we decided to prepare the Harbour Park project,” said Pavel Bagin, representing the investors behind award-winning projects like Nido and Octopus, alongside Peter Dzúrik from Blueprint s.r.o.
Harbour Park is intended to complement or replace the existing Bratislava harbor. “The total investment, if the entire project is realized, is estimated at 1 billion euros,” emphasized Bagin. Dzúrik added, “A modern city needs a modern harbor.” Bagin noted that Harbour Park could restore Bratislava to the European map, where it historically belongs, among cities whose economic prosperity flowed via the Danube from Roman times onward.
Source: Harbour Park
The new Danube port could provide jobs for 2,400 people in skilled professions related to logistics and trimodal transport, combining ships, railways, and road transport. “We believe we can help restore the economic standing our capital city once had,” summarized Peter Dzúrik and Pavel Bagin.
In its first phase, Harbour Park will include a port basin for cargo handling, including bulk materials, and the necessary infrastructure, including a connection to the R7 expressway. The project will also include a logistics park with halls and infrastructure.
According to the investor, this location is more suitable for this purpose than the Winter Harbor, which is closer to the city center and could be more open to recreational functions. One possibility mentioned is a personal marina, something practically non-existent in Bratislava.
The project also considers the public, who will be able to use the offered services and the embankment. The harbor will be integrated into the city and will include civic amenities beyond its primary function. Public transportation will also serve the harbor. Flood protection was considered in the design, with the project being scaled for a millennium flood. The harbor basin’s edge will also serve as flood protection.
The area covers a total of 792,000 m², with the water area occupying 105,500 m², and green spaces will be more than double that. The logistics area will cover 270,000 m², and buildings will occupy 207,000 m². The total usable area of 378,000 m² will include 11,000 m² of accommodation, 39,000 m² of office space, and 58,000 m² of retail and services. There will be parking for 2,046 cars and 91 truck spaces. The harbor will accommodate 22 ships and have 14 cranes.
According to representatives of WIN-PORT Invest, the new harbor plan in Vlčie Hrdlo is ready for submission for environmental impact assessment (EIA). This will be a comprehensive assessment, the so-called large EIA. Obtaining approval may take at least a year, or longer if expert discussions or serious objections arise. The Ružinov district would collect around 13 million euros in development fees.
Apart from the harbor, the investor is also addressing the area’s transport connection in a separate process. Last year, the plan for a new intersection on the R7 expressway was submitted for environmental assessment. This proposal includes two options, with the preferred one envisioning an overpass connected to the surrounding road network via two level crossings.
This intersection will not only connect the harbor and logistics center but also companies like Slovnaft, the planned D4R7 concessionaire management and maintenance center, and ZEVO Bratislava. The assessment will continue with an evaluation report, meaning a complete project assessment.
Source: Harbour Park
A Project of National Importance If the project is realized, it would be considered a nationally significant investment. According to the investor, Harbour Park would significantly increase the development potential of Bratislava’s harbor and strengthen its position as a major center for international trade, transport, and logistics. The project has strong state support—there has been a working group focused on its preparation at the Slovak Ministry of Transport for several years.
A complication arose when the city council introduced the proposal for Changes and Amendments to the Urban Plan 09 . In it, after 12 years, the harbor was replaced by forest and landscape greenery, potentially halting the project entirely. However, the Ministry of Transport did not agree with the proposed change, specifically removing the land reserved for the new harbor in Vlčie Hrdlo. In August 2023, the Office of Spatial Planning and Construction of Slovakia decided to uphold the Ministry of Transport’s objection to keep the land reserved for the harbor.
Controversy was sparked last year by reports that the project would require clearing 90 hectares of floodplain forest. Last summer, the building authority began the process for the first felling permit necessary for preparing the intersection. Environmentalists and the political party Demokrati were actively involved in this matter. However, a trimodal harbor in Bratislava can practically not be built elsewhere, especially if it’s not to encroach on protected areas.
The proposed harbor in Vlčie Hrdlo will not directly border a protected landscape area, leaving a green zone between them. Ľuboš Čema from WIN-PORT Invest mentioned that discussions with the city council have already started, and in a few weeks, the investor plans to request a binding opinion.
Architect and urban planner Igor Marko also attended the presentation focused on the current state and future of the harbor. He noted that it’s not about whether it’s a good or bad project, but rather a discussion about the direction Bratislava will take. Marko believes Bratislava is currently a city by the Danube, not on the Danube. The question is whether the river can return to the city and be more than just a barrier separating Petržalka from the rest of the capital. The new harbor project should be seen as an opportunity to improve Bratislava’s vitality.
A heated debate is likely in the coming weeks or months, as this is one of the largest and most significant initiatives in the capital, with a tangible impact on its life and appearance. Marko’s sentiment is valid—the decision will signal what kind of city Bratislava wants to become. On one hand, there’s a vision of a local center serving mainly Slovakia, and on the other, the concept of an international metropolis with significant economic influence. Local authorities must now weigh which path to take.
Translated from the source: yimba.sk