Romania”s Settlement Board Rejects Contestations Against Lugoj-Deva Highway Building Tenders

Romania’s National Contestation Settlement Board (CNSC) has rejected the contestations filed by construction company Spedition UMB and Austrian group Strabag regarding the awarding of contracts for construction works on two sections of the Lugoj – Deva highway.

End-May, the Department for Infrastructure Projects and Foreign Investments said it had shortlisted the constructors of three highway sections estimated at over 3 billion lei (around EUR690 million), VAT not included. The institution announced the finalization of auction procedures and the winning bids, but not their value or the deadlines for the completion of works.

Thus, the second section will be built by Italian consortium Salini – Secol, the thirc section by the consortium Teloxim Con SRL (owned by businessman Theodor Berna) – Comsa SA (Spain) – Aldesa Construcciones SA (Spain) – Arcadis Eurometudes SA (The Netherlands), and the fourth section by the consortium Spedition UMB- Tehnostrade held by Romanian businessman Dorinel Umbrarescu.

Between May 20 and May 23, Spedition UMB and Strabag filed several contestations against the procedures used to award contracts for design and construction works on the second and third sections.

In August 2012, national roads authority CNADNR said it received about 20 offers for the construction of each of the three sections of the Lugoj-Deva highway. The three sections are 71.9 kilometers in length and their design was expected to take a maximum of six months. The project was due for completion in about two years.

In April 2011, CNADNR selected consortium Tirrena Scavi-Societa Italiana per Condotte d”Acqua- Cossi Construzioni to build the first section (27.4 kilometers) of the highway.

The Lugoj-Deva highway is part of Pan-European Transport Corridor IV.