13,48 million euros for the renovation of nine tunnels

The Railway Infrastructure of Montenegro (ŽICG) has announced an international tender worth 13.481.400 euros excluding VAT for the reconstruction of nine tunnels on the southern part of the Vrbnica - Bar railway. The total length of the tunnels is 2.921 meters.

The tender will last until August 24th, while the company that wins the job will have two years to complete it.

The works are financed through the support of the European Investment Bank (EIB) within the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), and are carried out under the terms of the red FIDIC contract, so the contractor performs the construction while the project documentation is provided by the investor.

According to the tender documents published on the European Union website, the shortest of the tunnels will be 114 meters long, and the longest 673 meters, while the railway line will not be closed during the works. The tunnel renovation is planned to be carried out in sections during the day when there is no traffic.

"The contract covers works on the construction and structural rehabilitation of nine railway tunnels along the single-track railway line Vrbnica - Bar. They include structural reinforcement of tunnel linings, drainage rehabilitation, waterproofing, track works on the railway section, replacement of damaged tunnel-portal elements and accompanying works. The works will be carried out in accordance with the operational railway timetable, with defined daily intervals of free traffic. Bids must be accompanied by a guarantee in the amount of 280.000 euros, in the form of an unconditional bank guarantee," the tender states.

Interested companies will, among other things, have to have a minimum average turnover of construction works in the last three years of 14 million euros, access to loans of not less than 1,9 million, at least two contracts completed in the last ten years, each worth at least 14 million, with one completed of 28 million euros. Companies that have completed at least two contracts for the rehabilitation or renewal of railway infrastructure while the line was in use will also be considered...

ŽICG is currently working on a 230 million euro reconstruction project of the Golubovci - Bar railway, while 63 million euros will be available for this work from a loan from the EIB, 50 million euros from a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), as well as 112,6 million euros in grants from the WBIF. 5,18 million euros are planned from the state treasury.

The railway reconstruction will include nearly 40 kilometers of open railway from Bar to Golubovaci, and the rehabilitation of the "Sozina" tunnel and the Ratac landslide is also planned.

The unfinished main project, its revision, unresolved land expropriation, and the preparation of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) study are the reasons why the reconstruction cannot yet begin, so the works are being postponed to 2027 - although they were previously announced for 2025.

ŽICG officially told "Vijesti" at the end of April that they would announce a tender for the contractor during this year, and that the main reconstruction project was in the "final phase of development and revision".

MK