R3 is a mostly planned expressway (Slovak: rýchlostná cesta) passing through central Slovakia in a north–south direction along European route E77.

It goes from the border with Hungary, moving north around Krupina to Zvolen, from there it is currently planned to share an 18 km section with R1 and R2 from Budča to Žiar nad Hronom.

The route then continues north, from Martin sharing a section with the D1 before splitting off in Hubová, going from Dolný Kubín through the Orava River valley to Trstená and ending at border with Poland.The motorway goes along the route I/59, I/18, I/65 and through I/66 From the total length of approximately 230 km (excluding shared sections), these sections are currently in operation: What's in construction of the R3 is: The route of the R3, which is designed in three parts, in the north from Trstená to the intersection with the D1 highway in Likavka, in the central part from the intersection with the D1 highway in Martin to the intersection with the expressway along the R2 road in Ráztoč and in the southern part from the intersection with the R1 expressway in Budča to the state border of Slovakia with Hungary near Šahy, where the R3 will connect to the Hungarian highway M2.

In 2019, the preparation of a technical study was launched in Poland for the continuation of the Polish expressway S7, from the current termination in Rabka-Zdrój to the state border with a prospective connection to the R3 road.

[2][3] The total length of the R3, with the exception of toll roads, i.e. sections that the R3 route shares with other highways and expressways, is approximately 200 km.

The southern section of the R3 expressway is at the same time the oldest in terms of plans, as the highway in this corridor is already mentioned in the Resolution of the Government of the Czechoslovak Republic No.

Construction on almost the entire length of R3 will require the relocation of roads, watercourses and engineering networks, as part of environmental protection, sewerage with the separation of oil substances and noise barriers will be built.

With regard to the current intentions of the Ministry of Transport, the operation of the expressway along the entire length of the route cannot be expected before the year 2050.

Permanent on Hungarian motorway M2 (NDS a.s. estimate before concluding the contract) (Amount in terms of the contract) public procurement The length of this R3 section is 4.4 km, despite the fact that NDS a.s. declares its length as 5.5 km.

From the north side, this section connects to the already traveled R3 Trstená bypass, 7.2 km long.

From there, the Nižná feeder will take the traffic to the R3 road itself, which will be led along the eastern bank of the Orava river until it connects to the previous, already passable section of the Trstená bypass.

The competition for the construction of this section was launched in the summer of 2017 and lasted for almost four years, during which three governments took turns.

The cause of such large delays was poor-quality preparation of tender materials and disproportionately long decision-making processes in NDS a.s. as well as the Office for Public Procurement.

There are 14 bridges and 3 intersections on the section, including two level crossings at both ends as a temporary connection to the roadI/59.

There will be 14 bridge objects, 2 extra-level intersections and a large left-side rest area Tvrdošín.

The planned section will extend R3 to the village of Dlhá nad Oravou by a length of 8.6 km.

The section includes the Dlha nad Oravou and Sedliacká Dubová bypasses, 11 bridges, and a level crossing.

There are 9 bridges on the route, one of which is dominant over the Orava River and the railway, 750 meters long, 2 intersections (at the beginning and at the end).

Section R3, which will connect to Dolný Kubín to the expressway network, was to be built in the years 2016 - 2018, early use was planned for 2017.

The construction was financed from the state budget and was made by the companies Strabag, a.s. and Skanska, a.s. Ochvat is located near the junction of the mountain passes Kremnické Bane and Šturec.

The process of assessing the effects of the proposed activity "Expressway R3 Zvolen – Šahy" on the environment was stopped.