How much it costs us to delay two years on the “most important highway in Romania”: the Greek manufacturer requires compensation from the state 12 times more than received penalties – video
The Greek builder Aktor asks for the state compensation for the issues that led to the delay in the last batch still unopened on the South A0 Belt Highway. For his part, the road company accuses the builder for all the missed deadlines, but applied small penalties in relation to the value of the contract.
It was called “the most important highway in Romania” by experts because, once completed and open to traffic, lot 3 in South A0 will allow drivers to bypass the capital only on the East (A2) to the west. It is about the most circulated direction especially for freight traffic, the route that connects Constanța de Pitești only on the highway.
The bypass of the capital through South A0 is very expected not only by Bucharest, “but by the whole southern area”, considers Ionuț Ciurea from the Pro Infrastructure Association.
The opening of the traffic will take place until the end of the month, says the builder.
Delay for over two years. A project started since 2017
However, the completion of the South A0 comes with a consistent delay. If lot 1 and lot 2, from A2 to DN6, have been opened to traffic from 2023 and 2024, the last piece made by the Greek manufacturer Aktor – the about 18 km between DN6 and A1 – only now is preparing to be given in traffic, with almost two and a half years of total delay accumulated from the signing of the contract in April 2019.
The contract, auctioned since 2017, provided 12 months for design and 30 months for the execution of the works. Thus, according to the initial plans the section should have been ready at the latest at the end of 2022.
Only the project has accumulated delays from the beginning, from the design side. The builder received the opinion on the technical project only in October 2021, and only then could he start the works.
In an answer sent to the request of HotNews.ro, the highway company says that for this contract the initial completion date was November 23, 2022 and that it offered the builder a time extension until November 6, 2023.
However, CNAIR says that he is currently being judged with the builder on official terms.
“The Contractor has failed to comply with the contractual obligation to complete the execution of the works, with the classification in the execution, and at the moment the delays cannot be quantified as in the role of the courts there are disputes regarding the extension of the execution time,” details CNAIR for HotNews.ro.
What penalties have been applied so far to the builder
The company says, however, that he has applied penalties to the builder and that he will calculate the penalties from the assumed deadline and until the actual moment of receipt of the works.
“For the non -observance of the contractual obligation to complete the execution of the works, during the execution time, CNAIR SA has issued to the entrepreneur, a claim in the amount of 0.1 % per day of the accepted contract value that can be applied from the contractual date of completion of the works and until the effective date of completion of the works, respectively, the issuance of the process” HotNews.ro.
“For the poor mobilization and failure to fulfill the reference points, the beneficiary issued claims, inviting penalties to the entrepreneur in the amount of about 5 million lei,” CNAIR reports.
The value of the contract is over 850 million lei.
Aktor asks for compensation of 12 million euros
On the other hand, the builder also requests compensation from the state.
CNAIR transmitted, at the request of HotNews.ro, that “there are classes of the builder, disputes with CNAIR, for which modes of resolution by the engineer and decisions of the courts and classes that are ongoing”, ie what is still judged.
The amount claimed by the builder is about 59 million lei, almost 12 times more than that has been able to impose pentalities so far.
“The main reasons for the classes formulated by the entrepreneur are: relocation/protection utilities
additional compared to the award documentation, affecting the execution of the works of unfavorable weather conditions, the modification of the length and diameter of the drilled pilots following the completion of the technical project and the geotechnical study, additional archaeological sites against the attribution documentation, the approval by APA Nova of the solutions to protect the aqueducts from Bragadiru, CNAIR.
What the company says about delays: “Responsibility is divided”
Aktor representatives sent, at the request of Hotnews, as they see the reasons for the delays accumulated on the third section of South A0.
“The responsibility is divided. It is important for the project to be completed under quality and safety conditions,” Aktor said.
“The project was delayed for several reasons: delays in the design phase and obtaining authorizations; complex utility relocations (for example, gas pipeline pipe, a water pipeline that supplies the capital, other utilities); atypical weather conditions and bureaucratic delays independent of the entrepreneur;
Only this year the deadlines for completion officially announced by the authorities and builder have been postponed several times. Although initially there was a completion at the beginning of spring, the news of a new postponement made the builder to go public and promise the opening of traffic until the end of April. Did not happen. Subsequently, the heads of the roads announced June 15 for opening. This date is not respected either.
Weather conditions, the reason invoked for successively postponed inauguration in 2025
In response to Hotnews, the Greek builder refers to this year's difficult weather conditions.
“This year, the abundant snowfall of February and the rains in May have made the activities on the site. However, the works continued; the pre-reception procedure has already begun, approaching us with quick steps in June. Despite the delays, the collaboration with the beneficiary continued, and the common goal was to be kept. The teams allowed the progress of the works without resorting to extreme measures, ”Aktor said.
Asked how he responds to the accusations of weak mobilization in the field, both from the authorities and from the civil society, Aktor replied:
“Aktor has been present in Romania for over 20 years, with projects that have involved tens of kilometers of roads and railway completed. Each project has its own particularities and may encounter difficulties. In the case of Lot 3 A0 Sud, despite all the unforeseen aspects, we have completed the works, at this time having a stage of over 95%. transmitted the company.
“There is no project to be completed in the country more importantly than this one at the moment”
The piece of highway that will complete the southern semi-semi-semi-highway that bypasses the capital is considered “the most important highway” by some of the independent observers.
“It is still the most important and expected opening. There is no more important project to be completed in the country at the moment, there is no other caps like 18 kilometers that have a bigger impact, an immediate impact,” said Ionuț Ciurea, the director of Pro Infrastructure. This is due to the influence on the whole southern area of the country, not just the capital.
The completion of a rapid and modern bypass of the capital will also favor local traffic, a very big one, moving from the current belt road the transit vehicles, especially the heavy ones, and leaving the belt more empty to be used by the locals. In addition, an A0 highway to bypass the capital will help many businesses and commercial transport on a corridor and so crowded.
“Closing A0 on the south means practically to remove a ton of traffic and from DNCB (no-the current belt road of the capital), that is, a great effect for hundreds of thousands of people, including for Bucharest.
According to the latest official data consulted by HotNews.ro, the stage of the up to date is almost 90%.
South A0 – Lot 3 – Technical File
- Length: 18 km (DN6-A1), 1 road knot with A1
- Cost: 853 million lei (excluding VAT)
- MANUFACTURER: Aktor association – Euroconstruct trading
- Execution started in: November 2021 (design approved only in October 2021)
- Stage (June 2025): 90%
- Signed contract On April 14, 2019 / The auction started in July 2017.
- Contractual Completion Term: 6.11.2023 (initially November 2022)
- Realistic term of completion: June 2025
