Strabag, Porr and Hochtief in Slovak project

Construction of a 5.6km section of the D3 motorway in northern Slovakia has been awarded to a consortium of Strabag, Porr and Hochtief, with the contract worth €239 million.

The section of D3 is between Čadca and Bukov, and Strabag claims a 44% share in the project, with Porr claiming 34%. The work is being undertaken on behalf of the state motorway company NDS, and is scheduled to be completed after 48 months of construction.

It comprises the construction of the roadway, 19 bridges, several retaining walls and more than 11km of noise barriers. This section of motorway forms part of the Pan-European Transport Corridor and is intended to improve the transport connection to the country’s northern neighbour of Poland.

Thomas Birtel, CEO of Strabag, said, “The challenges facing this project can be found in the geological conditions of the land. We are dealing with partly marshy terrain here, with the risk of landslides in many places.

“For this reason, drainage measures are being taken and retaining walls erected ahead of construction. The section traverses several deep valleys, which will be connected by appropriate bridge structures. The geological conditions will require the carriageways in one area to be constructed at different elevations with a maximum horizontal separation of 4m.”

Karl-Heinz Strauss, CEO of Porr, said, “Technical know-how is needed during the construction of this motorway section. With our strong joint venture partners, we are optimally positioned to deliver.

“Once more, we can prove our experience in the construction of large transport infrastructure projects. That fits in perfectly with our skills profile. At the same time, the tender confirms our confidence in the Slovak market.”