:format(webp)/nginx/o/2020/10/26/13435796t1h4758.jpg)
:format(webp)/nginx/o/2011/10/12/789606t1h1142.jpg)
AS TREV-2 Grupp launches the construction of a four-lane stretch of road between Kose and Ardu already in August for approximately 50.7 million euros.
TREV-2 launches the road project of the century
Please note that the article is more than five years old and belongs to our archive. We do not update the content of the archives, so it may be necessary to consult newer sources.
The construction is one of Estonia’s largest road projects of the past 25 years, which involves the building of a totally new road stretch. It will also reduce the length of the Tallinn-Tartu-Võru-Luhamaa road by 5.3 kilometers.
The whole stretch will have 2+2 lanes with a median strip, the Kose-Risti and Ardu junctions, one tunnel and an overhead wildlife crossing. There will also be underpass wildlife crossings for smaller mammals and amphibians. Crossings with side and local roads will be built on different levels.
Sven Pertens, board chairman of TREV-2 Grupp, the tender winner, told Postimees that such expensive contracts are quite rare. The cost of the project equals the firm’s annual turnover. “This is one of the largest or maybe the largest road project since the restoration of independence;” he said.
The project is important for TREV-2 especially since it provides them with work and contracts for three years in advance. “This creates premises for stable development. The job is there and we can do it without interruptions,” Pertens said. The success will also increase the firm’s turnover by some 20 percent during the coming years.
According to Pertens, the road project of the century will include a number of challenges. First, the construction of the road stretch will involve a large amount of earthmoving and the construction of the embankment. While the new road is usually built alongside or on the top of the existing one, this one will run in a totally new direction.
Competitors’ cost was higher
The other major task will be the panning pf materials and logistics, since the amounts are larges and mistakes may be very costly. “All that requires excellent coordination and cooperation,” the head of the company explained.
Pertens also emphasized that the new road stretch is quite unique in the sense that the construction would not disturb traffic.
“Since the Kose-Ardu stretch is a totally new route, traffic can continue without restrictions until the completion of the new road in 2020,” he said. TREV-2 intends launching the construction as soon as possible.
Estonia’s second large road builder Nordecon also took part in the tender, but did not qualify. Acting board chairman Erkki Suurorg said that their bid had been financially significantly larger, but he believes that TREV-2 as a reliable company will handle the project well. “This is a large and demanding task, which will require the use of somewhat different technology”, Suurorg said, pointing out that the project involves the construction of a new road through forests and swamps. This in turn will make access and transportation of equipment more complicated and costly.
“On the other hand it will certainly be more convenient for drivers, since traffic would not be stopped for the construction. Yet it is a major challenge for the contractor”, he admitted. Suurorg added that the terms of the Road Administration tender are quite strict, which means that once TREV-2 managed to qualify, the firm has every chance to succeed. “We wish them luck”, he said.
Highlight for the Road Administration
“Signing the contract is one of the Road Administration’s highlights in recent years as it sums up a very extensive and exhaustive stage of preparations. Now we hand over the baton to the builders to realize the project,” said Kaupo Sirk, deputy director general of the Road Administration for construction and development.
“The construction of this stretch is a major challenge to the builder, since we hope to delight the motoring public in 2020 with a long-awaited safe and comfortable 2+2 road”, he added. The construction of the 12-kilometer Kose-Ardu stretch will begin this August and will last 40 months.
The Kose-Ardu stretch on the present Tallinn-Tartu road will serve for the local traffic and as an alternative for the highway in case of emergency. The new stretch is planned for speeds up to 120 kilometers per hour.
The construction bid of the Ardu-Võõbu stretch will be opened in the third quarter and the Road Administration plans to complete both projects in 2020.
A total of five bids were made at the Kose-Ardu tender. TREV-2 was chosen as the lowest-cost option of bids submitted and accepted by qualified specialists, the Road Administration explained.