After two years of work, the new D4 Via Salis is almost half finished16/5/2023|Press releasesThe construction of the D4 Via Salis motorway, which is the first Czech PPP project in the infrastructure sector, is almost half finished two years since the start of work. By the end of this year it will be 79% finished. Transport minister Martin Kupka came to the site to assess the current state of the D4 project and was presented with detailed information on the ongoing works by the representatives of the concessionaire and the contractor. On behalf of the concessionaire Via Salis, Mr. Christian Biegert, CEO of Via Salis and Managing Director for Central Europe of VINCI Highways, and on behalf of the contractor DIVIA Construction, Mr. Martin Borovka, CEO of VINCI Construction CS Group. Two years after the start of the project, the representatives of other stakeholders were on the site to see the progress of the construction: the French Ambassador Alexis Dutertre and the representative of Via Salis shareholder, David Delgado Romero, Partner and Managing Director of the company Meridiam for Central and Eastern Europe. "I am pleased to see that all work on the D4 is progressing as expected and the Via Salis project is proving the viability of the PPP model for financing similar infrastructure projects. More significant involvement of PPP in railway and motorway construction means that the state can spread the payments over time, including subsequent maintenance. This is important at a time when we have less money from the European Union available for motorway construction," said transport minister Martin Kupka. He believes that PPP financing will be used for two sections of D35 near Mohelnice, while feasibility studies are under way for two railway projects, a section of the IV railway corridor from Ševětín to Nemanice and a part of the new connection to Prague Airport. "The D4 PPP project is the largest French investment in the Czech Republic in at least the last ten years and we have therefore been interested in the progress for a long time," said French Ambassador to the Czech Republic Alexis Dutertre. He added that France has the highest number of PPP projects in Europe after the UK. And France is even the European leader in the construction of railway lines as PPP projects, which is now also being considered in the Czech Republic. Two years after the start, the construction of the motorway is about halfway through. "By the end of May, 48% of the total financial volume of the Via Salis project will have been built. Work is in progress along the entire length of the 32 kilometres – this is thanks to the building workers also also ŘSD, which prepared the construction," said Christian Biegert, CEO of Via Salis. Extensive earthworks are currently under way along the entire route, including the construction of associated structures such as bridges and retaining walls. At the beginning of the Háje – Milín section, a rock massif is gradually being blasted away, which will allow the motorway to be developed to the full necessary width in these places. Most work can be seen on bridge structures, of which there are 40 on the 32 kilometres of the route. This means that for every kilometre of the motorway there is at least one bridge or culvert. There is no doubt that the largest but also the most interesting bridge structure on the Via Salis is the bridge over Skalice near Nerestce. More than 420m long, the structure will gradually cross a class III road, a field road, the Skalice river valley and a regional railway line. Via Salis will be facing a construction boom until the end of this year. "In the second half of the construction, building activity will be even more obvious. The deployment of machine and human capacity will be extreme. For example, the number of construction workers will increase from the current 700 to more than 900," said Martin Borovka, CEO of VINCI Construction CS Group. Up to 79% of funding is expected to be spent by the end of 2023. Already at the beginning of the summer a large operations centre for motorway management and maintenance (SSÚK – Concessionaire Management and Maintenance Centre) will be built at the large Lety crossing. It will also house the motorway police. The construction of two opposite motorway rest areas with petrol stations will start near Krsice. In the autumn, one half of the motorway will be open for normal traffic near Milín, and the bridges will be completed to the stage of finished shell and core by the end of the year. The entire motorway is built to meet strict environmental requirements. For example the management and maintenance building will be built in a low-energy standard. Heat pumps will be used for heating and hot water, photovoltaics and solar panels will provide electricity. Similar, high demands are placed on the two motorway rest areas, where there will be, among other things, 16 fast-charging stations for electric vehicles. "We are building Via Salis as a sustainable motorway," added Christian Biegert. In addition to large construction projects, small-scale environmental projects will soon be kicked off. Wild meadows will be planted in selected areas around the motorway and beehives installed in its vicinity instead of boring lawn. If the flowers and bees thrive, this model will be applied on a larger scale once the motorway is completed.