Poland's complex road dispute

The complex legal case between the Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) and Austrian contractor Alpine Bau is continuing in the Polish courts.
March 1, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The complex legal case between the Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (1361 GDDKiA) and Austrian contractor 1332 Alpine Bau is continuing in the Polish courts. The contractor is asking for some €283 million in compensation for the earlier dispute over the project to build a section of the A1 highway in 2009. Alpine Bau had the contract for the work previously but lost the deal when GDDKiA said the firm was behind schedule and was not meeting the terms of the deal. The contractor responded that the delays were not its fault and also said that it refused to build a bridge as requested by GDDKiA as Alpine Bau's engineers did not believe the structure was safe. The Polish courts then opened the way for the legal case and when the tender for the stretch of the A1 highway was relaunched, Alpine Bau again won the bidding process. This latest development hinges to a great deal on the design of the bridge in question. GDDKiA said that the bridge was safe but Alpine Bau refused to construct this part of the contract and following its initial concerns backed up these by sourcing independent reports, which stated that the design did not meet safety criteria. As the legal cases put forward by both Alpine Bau and GDDKiA will rely on expert opinion over specific technical matters, this may well prove a lengthy and complex process in the courts.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Poland’s A1 section Pyrzowice to Tuszyn clears another hurdle
    November 11, 2014
    The Polish province of Lodzkie has signed a territorial contract that will allow construction of the Pyrzowice to Tuszyn section of the national A1 motorway. Territorial contracts are agreements between the central and regional governments in order to allow investment in key projects, such as roads. Around 90 projects worth in total US$7.63 billion will benefit from the contract. Apart from the 140km A1 motorway section, projects include rail line upgrades, Wielun and Belchatow ring roads hospital extensio
    Read More
  • Budimex fears the return of a price war in Polish road market
    May 7, 2015
    Major Polish construction company Budimex has said that only one out of its 15 road tender bids submitted this year to the Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) has had the lowest price. In 2014, its bidding effectiveness stood at one in four. Budimex said it is concerned that a price war is returning to the Polish construction market. Differences in the prices proposed by bidders are huge and that prices offered by its rivals are too low and are unrealistic. It has b
    Read More
  • Kosovo's award-winning green highway construction
    March 20, 2012
    A new highway is proving an economic lifeline for the tiny country of Kosovo – Mike Woof reports. Road projects in Europe rarely meet such widespread public approval and support as the new Route 7 highway being built in the new Balkan state of Kosovo. The first sections of the new road opened to traffic in November 2011, with locals turning out in large numbers to celebrate the event. The official opening was carried out by the country’s prime minister Hashim Thaçi, president Atifete Jahjaga, and members of
    Read More
  • Budimex and Strabag win 16km of Poland’s four-lane A1
    August 6, 2018
    Budimex and Strabag have won a contract to design and build 16km of Poland’s four-lane A1 highway between Tuszyn and Bełchatów. The €111 million deal with the Polish General Directorate for National Roads and Highways is scheduled for completion within 32 month, excluding winter months. The entire section will be concrete and includes two junctions, 17 bridges, several intersections and access roads, noise barriers and wildlife crossings.
    Read More

Highlighted Content