Huge costs of Hungary's new motorways under spotlight

A decision has been made to build a stretch of the M6 motorway between Szekszárd and Bóly and that of the M60 motorway between Bóly and Pécs based on a costly plan involving the construction of eight new bridges and four pairs of tunnels, reports Index.hu. The portal believes that the vast expense of the project is not justifiable.

On Monday, Parliament awarded the tender for construction of the highways to the Mecsek Motorway Consortium (Mecsek Autópálya Konzorcium) lead by the Austrian Strabag AG. The consortium will build the motorways based on plans involving construction of tunnels and viaducts in the Palotabozsok-Véménd region. For this stretch of the motorway, Uvaterv - as winner of a tender called in summer - created an alternative plan, but it was found to be unacceptable by National Infrastructure Development Zrt - the state-owned body in charge of such developments - on the basis of its technical solutions and public procurement law.

The new motorways, which are a total of 80 kilometers in length, and their maintenance for 30 years, will cost Ft 266.8 billion (€1.05 billion) and be completed by spring 2010, when Pécs will serve as a European "cultural capital." According to the Ministry of Economy and Transport, the contract will be signed with the winning consortium on November 21, and construction can start at the end of this year.

The Mecsek Motorway Consortium includes French companies Bouygues Traveaux Publics and Colas SA, the Hungarian Intertoll Europe Zrt. and the British John Laing Infrastructure. Major subcontractors include Magyar Aszfalt, Colas Hungária Kft. and Közgép.

The tender for construction of the last missing stretch of motorway between Dunaújváros and Szekszárd is expected to be called soon. That stretch of highway should also be completed by spring 2010.

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