Slovakia wins arbitration over Višňové highway tunnel

Italy's Webuild (formerly Salini Impregilo) and Slovakia's Dúha (Miroslav Remeta) must pay the state €34m after losing an arbitration over the Višňové tunnel, Transport Minister Jozef Ráž announced. The consortium sought €400m from the state over the termination of its contract, after which Skanska completed the tunnel. The Vienna court awarded it just €0.8m in a final ruling. The €34m sum also covers €16m of the state's €23m legal costs.

The tunnel's final construction costs are estimated at €540m, compared with Webuild's winning 2014 bid of €410m. Webuild received €187m and Skanska €354m. Skanska won the original 2012 tender with a €338m bid, but the then Smer government excluded its offer on absurd grounds.

(sme.sk, dennikN.sk)