Annual Installments for Bratislava Bypass Drop to €52.8 mn

Bratislava, June 22 (TASR) – The state will pay annual instalments of €52.8 million for the construction and maintenance of the Bratislava bypass over the next 30 years, reported Transport, Construction and Regional Development Minister Roman Brecely (a Siet/Network nominee) and his State Secretary Victor Stromcek (Smer-SD) at a press conference on Wednesday.

The cost is €3.9 million per year less than anticipated according to the winning bid in the tender, which predicted annual instalments of €56.72 million. This reduction will save the state as much as around €127 million. “We’ve managed to exploit the situation on European markets in concluding the financial aspect of the contract to our benefit. The whole project will cost us more than €100 million less than originally anticipated,” explained Brecely. After 30 years and with inflation taken into account the bypass should cost a total of around €1.76 billion, instead of the originally expected €1.89 billion.

The contract for the Bratislava bypass was signed with a consortium led by Spanish firm Cintra on May 20. The consortium managed to conclude the financial aspect of the contract in just four weeks.

According to the ministry, commercial and international banks, including the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), will participate in financing the project. Slovak Investment Holding will take part as well.

The next stage is the construction work itself. It can begin at sites with valid building permits. “I assume that all the preparatory work will start by the end of this summer, with full-blown construction beginning as of 2017,” noted Brecely.

Stromcek said that the consortium should present a construction schedule for individual sections by the beginning of the summer holidays. The Bratislava bypass will form part of the D4 motorway and the R7 expressway. It should be completed in four years and three months.