Contracted Road Works Are Being Unfrozen

The government accepted the proposal for amendments to the Roads Act at today’s session, which should enable the completion of contracted works at existing construction sites, or ‘unfreeze’ 12 projects that were halted due to lack of secured funds or necessary permits, or were interrupted due to problems with the construction companies performing the works.

According to Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure Siniša Hajdaš Dončić, the government will attempt to clear the chaos it encountered in Hrvatske autoceste and Hrvatske ceste regarding contracted works for which funds were not secured, without location permits and construction conditions, and ensure the continuation of initiated works in the civil engineering sector of low construction.

To enable the completion of investments on certain sections, it is proposed that in cases where a motorway or state road is classified into another category, and construction of a particular section has already begun or is at a high stage of completion, the works commenced be completed by the legal entity that managed that road until the moment of classification into another category.

This, for example, means that the construction of the first sections of the ‘Podravski ipsilon’ will continue, but not as a motorway, rather as a fast road, and the works will be completed by HAC.

Hajdaš Dončić reminded that the construction of the ‘Podravski ipsilon’ is divided into four phases that have already been contracted with contractors, although for three phases, location permits and construction conditions have not been obtained, and land acquisition has not been completed.

The first sections towards Bjelovar and Koprivnica will be completed within the contracted deadlines, for which funds have been secured and documentation obtained, while for the other sections we still have nothing, even though we have contracted works, said Hajdaš Dončić.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Branko Grčić noted that we currently have 12 contracted projects worth 4.2 billion kuna, and due to delays in implementation, 1.1 billion kuna has been lost. These projects are now ‘unfrozen’ and will commence implementation as soon as meteorological conditions are met.

These projects were halted mainly due to problems with large construction companies, but now new associations of contractors with new project managers are involved, so I hope they will be completed this year, said Grčić.

Among the projects, he mentioned the completion of the viaduct and section between Ravča and Ploče, the completion of the Sv. Ilija tunnel, the construction of a bridge over the Drava on corridor Vc, the construction of the Buševec – Lekenik section on the motorway towards Sisak, and the completion of the route between Split and Dugopolje, the Plano – Kaštel Stari section and the southern bypass around Osijek.