Construction on Prague’s long-delayed Blanka tunnel project is set to finish today. The tunnel, which is part of the city’s inner ring road, will not be open to traffic yet, as ČKD Praha DIZ still needs to install additional equipment. The project was delayed over a pay dispute between the contractor Metrostav and the City of Prague. An arbitration court ruled last week that the city must pay Metrostav an additional CZK 5bn for extra work. The city is in the middle of a similar dispute with another supplier, Inženýring dopravních staveb. The tunnel will cost CZK 36bn. It is not yet clear when it will be open for use, though the original schedule had it opening in 2011 at a cost of approximately CZK 26bn.
