Skip to main content

Poland plans push-starting project

In the wake of the difficulties in Poland over the withdrawal of Chinese contractor COVEC from the A2 highway project, the country's government is now looking for a way ahead.
February 28, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
In the wake of the difficulties in Poland over the withdrawal of Chinese contractor 2487 COVEC from the A2 highway project, the country's government is now looking for a way ahead. In all 16 contractors have been approached by the authorities to negotiate resuming construction work. Among the companies that have been approached by the Polish Government are, 3302 Budimex, 3281 Eurovia, 2861 Hermann Kirchner Polska, 3304 Mostostal Warszawa, 3305 Polimex-Mostostal, 945 Strabag and 2296 Skanska.

The Polish Government is keen for construction to be restarted as soon as possible so that the 30km stretch of the A2 highway between Warsaw and Lodz will be ready before Euro 2012. As a result the authorities are prepared to cut down the time of completing the necessary procedures.

 However, there are legal concerns over whether appointing a contractor without an opening tender process would be questioned by the 2465 European Commission. Meanwhile on a rather more positive note, a loan worth €800 million is being supplied by the 1054 European Investment Bank (EIB) to Poland's Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) bank. This sum will help fund the construction of a 36km section of the A1 highway between Maciejow and Pyrzowice as well as a 135km stretch of the A4 highway between Szarow and Rzeszow.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Funding problems for major Polish highway project
    May 9, 2012
    The long tale of woe concerning Poland’s troubled A2 highway project looks set to continue with the latest developments in the case. The Chinese contractor China Overseas Engineering Group Co (Covec) is appealing against a decision made by the Polish national road authority GDDKiA. The Polish authorities cancelled the contract that COVEC had previously been awarded to build a section of the A2 highway between Warsaw and Lodz.
  • Polish project plan
    February 28, 2012
    The authorities in Poland are looking for solutions to the debacle that has become the A2 highway project.
  • Poland's ambitious highway construction plans
    July 10, 2012
    The European football championships are among a number of things pushing Poland's ambitious highway building programme. Patrick Smith reports. Poland is planning to spend a colossal €4.57 billion on road projects in 2009, a 35% increase over the previous year. T
  • Deal struck for Poland's A2 highway
    February 27, 2012
    Work on two sections of Poland's A2 highway originally planned to be built by the Chinese COVEC will now be constructed by two consortia.