Trams on the new tram line in the Bratislava borough of Petrzalka won't be put into regular operation as soon as this year, Petrzalka mayor Jan Hrcka told TASR on Thursday, adding that they will run in a trial operation at that time in the best case.
However, he will be satisfied if they manage to launch regular operations in May or June 2025, he said, adding that the intensity of work on the line's construction has recently increased.
"I believe that it will continue at this pace at least until the end of the year and that there will be no other unforeseen complications, financial or technical," stated Hrcka. Nevertheless, he does not think that it will be possible to travel by tram according to a regular timetable in mid-December. If this comes true next spring, it will be still okay, he said.
Concerning the tram line's construction, the mayor is more concerned about the financial difference that the Slovak capital will have to pay from its own pocket. According to him, the amount of €15-20 million is being mentioned at the moment. If the sum is confirmed, or eventually even increased, this might be a serious problem, stated Hrcka.
The city of Bratislava in late March announced that the tram line's contractor during the negotiations committed itself to complete the tram line by December 15, 2024. At the same time, the remaining construction objects, which are part of the project but are not necessary for the tram operation, such as the Kutlikova Street bridge, are to be completed by August 2025.
The construction of the tram line in the Jungmannova-Janikov dvor section was launched in late November 2021. Its contractor is a group of companies clustered in the NS MHD Petrzalka Association. A major part of the construction should be covered from EU funds. The construction has faced several problems since the very beginning.
(TASR)
