Sweden’s road authority Trafikverket has said it will keep to its planned road maintenance schedule during the coronavirus outbreak.
It is also not possible to get larger projects off the ground ahead of their planned start dates because of the need to go out to international tender. The procurement process must give international companies time to prepare their bids.
Trafikverket said that the outbreak of Covid-19 and government lockdowns have not slowed down or interfered with projects already underway.
Trafikverket’s announcement comes after the head of Mesta, a government infrastructure business in neighbouring Norway, said she wants to see more tunnel rehabilitation work brought forward as the Covid-19 crisis continues.
Marianne Bergmann Røren said there are 55 tunnels that need to be upgraded before 2025 and she urged authorities to give the green light for these projects sooner rather than later.
Her call comes as the company- the largest player in Norway’s road maintenance market – announced it was temporarily laying off 100 employees. Mesta is owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry and must compete for each contract in the open market.
