Višňové highway tunnel mired in problems
Construction firms Tubau and Cestné stavby LM (Vladimír Ondriš) have filed for bankruptcy amid debts amassed on the Višňové highway tunnel. Skanska, which has a contract with the state to complete the tunnel, says it already has replacements and this issue will not impact deadlines. Interestingly, the companies accounted for 14% of the completion work. Skanska previously postponed the completion deadline from the end of 2023 to the autumn of 2024.
Ondriš claims that Porr, a Skanska supplier, owes his companies €10m. His companies in turn owe their suppliers a slightly lower amount. Porr begs to differ, and has seized money from Tubau by exercising bank guarantees. At the core of the issue seem to be rising prices for construction materials; so far, the state has refused to open contracts and raise prices.
