Despite the fact that many of these highway sections were supposed to be inaugurated in April, the ten construction sites are 65-66% finalized and the inauguration deadline has been pushed back until autumn or even next year.
The ten leading highway construction sites advanced by around 4% on average between April 1 and May 1, according to ZF calculations based on data sent by CNADNR. The advance is more significant than in the previous month, March 1- April 1, when works progressed by around 2%, but the pace is relatively slow considering that the weather was good in April.
The constructors of the ten highway sites had collected almost EUR1.2 billion by May 1, equivalent to around two thirds of the value of the contracts. In fact the ten highways are on average 65-66% completed, according to ZF calculations based on information from roads company CNADNR.
Between April 1 and May 1 construction companies that work on the ten highway sections collected almost EUR46 million in total, with the largest payments being made for Constanta’s bypass. Despite works not progressing at all in April, the constructors of Constanta’s bypass, FCC Construccion and Astaldi, collected almost EUR23 million during this interval.
The biggest progress in April was made on segment 4 of the Orastie – Sibiu highway, which advanced by almost 7%. This around 16-km stretch is built by Italian Astaldi and Romanian Euro Construct Trading. At the beginning of May this highway segment was 68% ready, according to CNADNR data. Although it was supposed to be ready last month, this stretch will be finalized only in December, according to the latest estimates of the national roads company.
On the other hand, works continued to stagnate on the Suplacu de Barcau-Bors highway and CNADNR is preparing to suspend the contract after US Bechtel, the builder of this section, collected around EUR268 million for the contract, to which another EUR45 million is added for consultancy and expropriations.
On the 6.5-km stretch that will link Bucharest’s Petricani Road to Bucharest’s ring road and to Bucharest-Pitesti highway, the advance, which corresponds to a period of almost 2 months (April 1 –May 27), is around 23%.
However, the completion deadline has been pushed back until April 2015. Works started last year and were supposed to be completed almost eight months ago.
(English version by Daniela Stoican)