The interminable renovation of Budapest’s Margaret Bridge (Margit híd) looks set to become even more interminable, with news that the contract for the overhaul of the key crossing will be extended due to the city requiring Mh 2009 – the consortium carrying out the works – to complete additional projects, including fixing up the underpasses at both ends of the bridge and creating bicycle lanes.
The first deadline for the completion of the works was last August 13, roughly a year after the bridge was closed to traffic. But it was only in November that cars were allowed back on the bridge, leading to a move by the city to withdraw a bank guarantee of Ft 2.6 billion (€9.8 million) from the consortium doing the work – a bid that to date has failed, owing to legal maneuvers by the consortium.
While the consortium now says the bridge will be completed on June 13 at the earliest, several projects have yet to be finished, for example, the sidewalk on the south side and the renovation of decorative statues for which a public procurement tender has yet to be called.
It is said that the extension of the final deadline will not result in a new standoff between the city and the consortium, as the additional work was requested by the city. [mon.hu]
A perfect microcosm of the typical inefficient and corrupt administration of business practices in this god forsaken country that continues to inconvenience the local and foreign populace alike. It’s a pretty simple project that has dragged on for years. While they’re at it, can they fix the the steps that lead down to the underpass on the Pest side of the bridge? Am I the only person that has noticed this obvious public hazard for the last 4 years?
Aloof. You must remain so because, as you well know,
the above fiasco reflects how things do not get done
in this wonderful land….
Any project that has succeeded during my 4-year stay here has had to be managed by me from start to finish. Shouting, screaming, ordering, threatening,
and so on. Last summer I was in Budapest a most beautiful city and observed, first hand, the lazy
workforce (contradiction in terms) on that bridge.
Shambolic. Boss?? Manager?? Accountants?? Accountability?? Taxpayers money?? Investors money??
A thousand and one similar stories with various projects scattered about Magyarorszag. Who cares…???