Deadline for highway concession

Today is the deadline for the Horgos-Pozega concessionaires to declare themselves on a proposal to terminate the contract. B92 has learned from our government sources that an agreement in principle has been reached to cancel the concession. Deadline for highway concession At this time, there is ongoing work to define the contract to regulate this, as well as the one related to the construction of Corridor 10 from Belgrade to Horgos near the border with Hungary. The agreement to scrap the concession deal was reached by the state and the concessionaires to mutual benefit, B92 was told, in order to avoid international arbitrage. However, Alpine Porr will build the Novi Sad-Horgos stretch, for which it has ready documents and designs, while the funding will come from the state budget. The government has already set aside EUR 250mn for this, with works expected to last between 15 and 18 months. The cabinet sources say that this issue is expected to be solved by the government by mid-September, making way for the construction on the Novi Sad-Horgos stretch of the highway. Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjic said yesterday that the Alpine Porr had until Saturday to send its proposal to the government. "We will be waiting for that proposal tomorrow, and will reach a decision next week," Mrkonjic said. "For us, it is very important to make use of this half-season to continue work on the highway to Horgos," he told reporters during a visit to the construction site for a new bridge over the Danube River, which is scheduled to the completed by September 2009. "The section of the highway from Novi Sad towards the north is the easier one, and we must finish it within 14 months," Mrkonjic stated. "Therefore, if we begin work on that section on September 1, we must complete it within 14 months, and this bridge also fits into this plan," Mrkonjic added, noting that "we should begin the year 2010 with the finished highway to Subotica."

Deadline for highway concession

At this time, there is ongoing work to define the contract to regulate this, as well as the one related to the construction of Corridor 10 from Belgrade to Horgoš near the border with Hungary.

The agreement to scrap the concession deal was reached by the state and the concessionaires to mutual benefit, B92 was told, in order to avoid international arbitrage.

However, Alpine Porr will build the Novi Sad-Horgoš stretch, for which it has ready documents and designs, while the funding will come from the state budget.

The government has already set aside EUR 250mn for this, with works expected to last between 15 and 18 months.

The cabinet sources say that this issue is expected to be solved by the government by mid-September, making way for the construction on the Novi Sad-Horgoš stretch of the highway.

Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjić said yesterday that the Alpine Porr had until Saturday to send its proposal to the government.

"We will be waiting for that proposal tomorrow, and will reach a decision next week," Mrkonjić said.

"For us, it is very important to make use of this half-season to continue work on the highway to Horgoš," he told reporters during a visit to the construction site for a new bridge over the Danube River, which is scheduled to the completed by September 2009.

"The section of the highway from Novi Sad towards the north is the easier one, and we must finish it within 14 months," Mrkonjić stated.

"Therefore, if we begin work on that section on September 1, we must complete it within 14 months, and this bridge also fits into this plan," Mrkonjić added, noting that "we should begin the year 2010 with the finished highway to Subotica."