An agreement was signed in Zenica today between the public company “Autoceste FBIH” and the BIH consortium made up of the “Euroasfalt” d.o.o Sarajevo and GP ŽGP d.d. Sarajevo on the construction of phase II of the Vijenac tunnel (tunnel 1 March).
The contact is worth 43.73 million KM and was signed by the Directors Ensad Karić (Autoceste FBIH), Hamed Ramić (Euroasfalt) and Asim Nanić (ŽGP), while the co-signer was Enver Bijedić, the FBIH Minister of Transport and Communications. The work will last for 12 months, after which the highway from Sarajevo to Zenica will be complete.
“The construction of tunnel 1 March is a joint success of FBIH Autoceste and local companies’’, said the Director of FBIH Autoceste Ensad Karić. He added that the completion of Phase II will make this the longest tunnel in BiH and one of the most modern and best-equipped tunnels in the region.
“Thanks to the agreement signed today, in 12 months citizens of this country will finally have a highway from Zenica to Sarajevo’’, said Ensad Karić. He was particularly pleased of the participation of local companies in this project, which gives an important reference for future jobs.
“Negotiations with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development allowed us to ensure equal treatment for local companies in their otherwise very strict tender procedure’’, explained Ensad Karić. He said that 20 percent of the value of contracts is financed from the collected bank guarantees, while this contract exceeded one billion KM of contracted investment in the last 20 years.
“I thank Euroasfalt and ŽGP for this contract and I wish them success and I am certain that in 12 months the tunnel will be open and the highway from Sarajevo to Zenica will be complete’’, said Karić.
The Director of Euroasfalt Hamed Ramić, on behalf of BH Consortium said that this agreement confirms that local construction companies are ready to cope with the most demanding projects, which could contribute to the recovery of BiH’s economy.
The Federal Minister of Transport and Communications Enver Bijedić said that thanks to the engagement of Autoceste, works on the tunnel 1 March (tunnel Vijenac) is going faster than expected.
“These types of projects bring back hope of BiH citizens in us that we are capable of building a better future’’, said the Prime Minister of Zenica-Doboj Canton Fikret Plevljak. The Prime Minister of the FBiH Nermin Nikšić said that the chance for BiH integration is in the building of roads, which have been more successful that having politicians trying to connect people and all of BiH.
On 1 March 2013, the Day of Independence, the breaking of the crown of the tunnel Vijenac was completed, or the connection of the tunnel of the complete length of the first phase of works. After an evaluation of bids for the construction of Phase II of the tunnel, the BH Consortium was chosen. The criteria for the tender were assigned to ensure equal treatment of domestic companies. The signing of an agreement for Phase II includes the construction of waterproofing, drainage, secondary fortifications, pavement and wiring.
The completion of the tunnel is scheduled for March 2014, which will put into function the entire pat of Drivuša – Kakanj, or Sarajevo – Zenica.
(Source: Klix.ba)
