Construction of the Jánovce-Jablonov section of the D1 motorway was ceremonially started on June 20, with Transport Minister Ján Figeľ and Prime Minister Iveta Radičová attending, the TASR newswire reported.
The first part of the section, which is less complicated, should be ready in just under three years and will cost almost €60 million, 85 percent of which is being financed from EU Cohesion Funds and 15 percent from the state budget. Its overall length is 9 km and it will include 10 bridges. The second part of the section is currently subject to a tender.
"We've committed ourselves to a transparent public procurement and reducing prices via public procurements so that they correspond with prices in Europe. I'm glad that we've completed various bypasses and sections ... with the €900 million allocated for this year," said Radičová as quoted by the TASR newswire.
"The east of Slovakia needn't be remote and poorer. The launch of this motorway construction near Levoča is one of the measures aimed at ensuring regional development, higher employment and economic growth," said Figeľ, adding that the cost is now 37 percent lower than previously expected and 50 percent lower than under the originally proposed public-private partnership (PPP) project.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
