Germany bridged the last gap Wednesday on the superhighway between Paris and Prague, opening a dual carriageway that crosses the old Iron Curtain.
The European Union has designated the 1,000-kilometre run from Paris to Prague, composed of existing motorways and the new connection, as the E50, or European highway 50.
Emphasizing the importance of the project, German Chancellor Angela Merkel showed up at the ribbon-cutting in Schmidgaden for the last piece of the road to be completed, between Amberg and the Oberpfaelzer Wald highway junction.
The new 54-kilometre link has been dubbed the Via Carolina.
Until now, the superhighway has run westwards from Prague, past the border crossing between Waidhaus, Germany and Rozvadov, Czech Republic and emerged from the hills, only to end among minor German roads.
Since the Czech Republic shook off communism, joined the European Union and became part of the western economy, traffic volumes in this part of Germany have soared and car and truck drivers have cursed at delays.
Towns along the highway now believe they are placed to profit from growing East-West trade and many have opened new industrial estates.
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