The Czech government is planning to accelerate motorway construction in 2017, with 140 km of new roads in the pipeline. Transport Minister Dan Ťok believes that a new law on public orders may hasten the tender process and make construction management more efficient. The ministry is also trying to push through a new construction law that would simplify the planning process which currently takes 12 years on average to complete. Michal Jurka, head of Skanska in the Czech Republic, told Hospodářské noviny that projects planned for 2017 will realistically break ground in 2018-19. Construction companies have long complained about this system, which leads to fierce competition and appeals during the tender process. Land buyouts, which start when the project is prepared, also slow things down. Jurka says the government should announce its plans three to five years in advance. The transport ministry has made the completion of the Prague ring road and the D35 motorway top priorities, followed by the D8 to Germany and the D3 to Austria.
