On the ten construction sites, 250 km of highway are under construction and cost almost EUR1.8 billion in total.
The ten construction sites advanced by an average 1.8% between March 1 and April 1, according to a ZF analysis based on data sent by the National Highways and Roads Company in Romania (CNADNR). The construction pace is similar to that in February, when the weather was similarly mild and good for construction works.
Information on the slow progress of works comes at a time when around 150 km of highway were set to be ready in April, according to contract terms. Poor financing, along with on-site problems, led to delays in highway completion deadlines.
Highway construction sites where work is currently under way had spent over EUR1 billion by the beginning of March, equivalent to around 60% of the total value of contracts of EUR1.75 billion. The actual stage of works for the around 250 km of highway currently under construction is also a little over 60%.
The first section to be inaugurated in May is the around 32.5-km Deva-Orastie section. Dan Sova, the minister of infrastructure projects, who is in charge of CNADNR, recently told Ziarul Financiar that highways under construction on Pan-European Corridor IV will be opened for traffic this year, with the exception of a 16-km section of the Orastie-Sibiu highway, which is set to be opened only next year.
Highways such as Suplacu de Barcau – Bors and the first 6.5 km of the Bucharest-Ploiesti section stagnated between March 1 and April 1, as these roads have been left without financing for now.
In the case of the Suplacu de Barcau-Bors highway CNADNR does not give any completion deadline, but the construction site has been stuck for over a year at a 50% execution stage. Even so, US Bechtel, the constructor of the highway, continues to collect significant amounts from CNADNR, the bulk of which are overdue debts, not money that could be used in order to resume works.
Works advanced fastest in March on the first section of the Lugoj-Deva highway, built by Italy’s Tirrena Scavi, Societa Italiana per Condotte D’Acqua and Cossi Costruzioni, with construction work advancing by 5.3%.
Two months ago some of the constructors of the highways on Paneuropean Corridor IV said they expected to finalize works at the end of the summer.
Section 2 of the Nadlac-Arad highway is set to open for traffic in August at best, but the constructor of this section, Austrian-held Alpine, said there were problems collecting money for the works and on-site problems related to utilities.
The first section of the Orastie-Sibiu highway (24-km-long) is also set to open in August, according to information provided previously by Strabag, the Austrian company that works on this section.
Construction companies are awaiting the results of auctions for the construction of 100 km of highway, with a value of EUR900 million, on Paneuropean Corridor IV.
CNADNR is also in full process of selecting a private investor that will finance, build and maintain the Comarnic-Brasov highway and the southern portion of Bucharest’s ring road, which will be built at highway standards.
(English version by Daniela Stoican)