“Unpaid invoices to date amount to about 1.5 billion crowns and another about a billion crowns is in production, when we have not yet sent those invoices,” Metrostav spokesman František Polák told ČTK. Subsequently, the problem also affects all subcontractors to whom Metrostav cannot reimburse the work. “We hope to reach an agreement with the town hall very quickly,” Polák added. According to him, however, construction continues so that a test run can begin in the tunnel at the end of April next year.

The city defends itself by saying that I have to check all the changes that have occurred in the construction project. “The suspension of the board occurred due to the fact that the project was changed during the construction of the Blanka tunnel. Most of these changes have already been made. The city is currently monitoring individual changes in the project so that invoices can be paid in accordance with the Public Procurement Act, “said Tereza Králová, a spokeswoman for the Prague City Hall. “This is an inspection of more than 2,300 components, which unload on each other by 44 meters, and thus reached up to two thirds of the height of the Petřín lookout tower,” she added.

According to information from ČTK, however, it follows from the last December meeting of the city council that it is not clear whether all works were approved in advance and whether the budget for work supplements, which can amount to a maximum of 20 percent of the original contract price, has not been exceeded. Prague probably does not know how this situation could have arisen. In mid-January, the council therefore ordered magistrates’ lawyers to find out who was to blame for the situation and who might be responsible for it.

A deposit of 2.5 billion?

Prague is now negotiating a solution with Metrostav. For example, it is considering providing an advance payment of up to 2.5 billion crowns for future work. However, this is criticized by the opposition. “Are you, Mr. Mayor, seriously thinking that you will give Blanka, Metrostav, two and a half billion suppliers a deposit? Isn’t this against the law as illegal public support? Why is he circumvented by not paying the supplier properly by giving him a deposit? ”He asked at the last meeting of the Březina council. According to Březina, Prague had the cost of stopping and preserving the construction quantified. According to the materials available to ČTK, the costs are around 800 million crowns.

Take a look: the Blanka tunnel introduced itself to the people of Prague:

Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda (ODS) did not answer most of the questions at the council. According to him, negotiations on further financing of the construction are very complicated and it is not possible to publish the information at the moment, because it would harm Prague during further negotiations.

The Blanka tunnel complex is part of the city’s bypass. Its construction began in 2007. The city’s previous management under former mayor Pavel Bém (ODS) claimed that the construction would cost about 28 billion crowns. At the beginning of 2011, however, the current management found that the price should climb to 38 billion. Mayor he had some work deletedthe final price should eventually amount to 36 billion crowns.