The Czech construction giant Metrostav has been ordered to complete the long-delayed Blanka tunnel, a vital part of Prague’s inner-city ring road, within the next five months. However, under a court ruling, announced late Friday, the City of Prague must pay Metrostav CZK 4bn for the work, as Prague Mayor Tomáš Hudeček has now acknowledged that the contracts for the tunnel between the city and Metrostav are valid. Still, the dispute is not over. Metrostav is demanding an additional CZK 1bn from Prague for construction of the Troja bridge, which is part of the Blanka tunnel complex. The court is set to rule on this matter on June 4.
Metrostav halted works on the Blanka tunnel in December, claiming that the city had not paid its invoices. City officials had contested the validity of the contracts with Metrostav and used that excuse for not paying for the work. The court ruled that Prague must pay off its CZK 2.7bn debt to Metrostav as well as an additional CZK 1.3bn for uncompleted work.
