The first half of the missing motorway stretch between Draženci and Gruškovje was opened on Wednesday. Prime Minister Miro Cerar, who delivered the keynote speech at the opening ceremony, said that the upgrade is a boon for the local community. The upgrade of the 7.3-km stretch cost 68 million euros.

The second half of the missing 13-km motorway stretch is expected to be completed by September 2018. The entire project is valued at around 245 million euros.