Sealed deal for second segment of troubled A2 motorway

A final contract was signed yesterday with Consortium Boel & Krysl and Dolnoslaskie Surowce Skalne to complete section C, a 20-km stretch of the A2 road.

Yesterday's deal follows on from another agreement last week, whereby two other firms – Eurovia and Warbud – took up the reins on the other outstanding stretch of the abandoned project, section A.

Chinese consortium COVEC initially cut a deal that was highly competitive with European firms. However, local sub-contractors closed ranks and refused to cooperate.

Later, the Chinese consortium – building in Europe for the first time - ran into financial problems and the project collapsed.

According to the contract signed yesterday, section C will be completed for considerably more than it would have been under Chinese control.

The new contractors will finish the project for 756.05 million zloty ( 188.2 million euro), whereas the Chinese had pledged to do the job for over 220 million zloty less.

However, a condition is that the motorway must be finished in advance of the Euro 2012 championships, which Poland is due to co-host with Ukraine. (nh)

Source: IAR