Skip to main content

Delays on Slovakian projects

Work on several new highways being built in Slovakia as public-private partnerships (PPPs) will be delayed by six to 12 months. This means that the first sections of the Martin-Presov link will not open before 2011. The last section is expected to be completed in either late 2012 or early 2013.
July 9, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Work on several new highways being built in Slovakia as public-private partnerships (PPPs) will be delayed by six to 12 months. This means that the first sections of the Martin-Presov link will not open before 2011. The last section is expected to be completed in either late 2012 or early 2013.

The delays are caused by problems in negotiations with banks. 979 Bouygues, the leader of a six-member consortium which will build the D1 highway has said that it is in talks with 19 banks, including EIB, which has promised to provide €1 billion, and EBRD. Investment costs will be €2.4 billion but when operating costs are included, they rise to €3.3 billion.

The 30-year concession is estimated to cost up to €7.6 billion. The D1 highway will now be completed in 2011 rather than 2010 as originally planned.

The R1 highway from Nitra to Banska Bystrica will also be delayed and will not open before 2011. Construction will cost €1.5 billion but the total costs will amount to €3.5 billion. The R1 is Slovakia's first PPP-funded highway project. A 51km stretch of the R1 highway that links Beladice and Tekovske Nemce is being built by French-Dutch consortium comprising 4084 VINCI Concessions and ABN Amro Highway. The 30-year concession project is expected to cost €1.5 billion and was originally planned to be completed by the end of 2010. However the contract was signed later than expected. The consortium will receive €3.47 billion in total, including interest, from Slovakia during the period of the contract.

Bratislava municipality (BSK) has revealed that it needs more funds to improve its roads. In 2009 BSK will receive €13.1 million for roadbuilding and repairs, although the region needs almost €150 million to repair all of its roads and bridges, some of which are in a very poor condition.

BSK currently operates 512 km of roads and 130 bridges and is struggling with the shortage of funds for repairs. The Bratislava area does not receive any financial contributions from EU funds however. One of BSK's priorities is to build the Pezinok by-pass, which would cost around €100 million.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Slovakia’s Cabinet to have final say on D4 Bratislava bypass
    February 9, 2016
    The government of Robert Fico has said it will decide the fate of the controversial €1 billion Bratislava bypass, the D4 motorway project, possibly ahead of a national parliamentary election next month. Fico, who also was prime minister from 2006-2010, was re-appointed after leading his Direction Social Democracy party (SMER-SD) to a landslide victory in the 2012 parliamentary election. His party won 83 seats and formed an absolute majority government, Slovakia’s first since 1989. Controversy continue
  • Spanish highway project to get EIB A-rated bond issue?
    April 20, 2012
    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is reported to be in talks with the sponsors of the A-66 Benavente-Zamora highway public private partnership (PPP) in Spain over a possible bond financing deal, which would see the Bank provide subordinated debt for an A-rated bond issue. The possible bond issue would be a further greenfield project to launch the European Union’s Project Bond 2020 initiative, with its initial pilot stage being managed by the EIB.
  • Slovakian contract
    March 1, 2012
    Vahostav-SK will carry out work on a 16km section of the D1 highway near Martin and Vrutky in neighbouring Slovakia in a deal worth €137 million.
  • How Florida paved the way for availability payments in the US
    November 21, 2014
    New financing models have been used to deliver key transport links in the US - * Patrick D Harder and Brandon J Davis Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) public-private partnership (PPP) programme has made impressive progress, setting precedents for US transportation planning and funding. On March 26th 2014, FDOT opened 16km of new reversible express lanes as part of its US$1.8 billion I-595 Corridor Roadway Improvements Project. Just a few months later, on August 3rd 2014, FDOT opened twin tunnel