May 18 (SeeNews) - Turkey's Cengiz will launch on May 25 preparatory works for the reconstruction of a railway track between the northern towns Krizevci and Koprivnica and the construction of a new track parallel to the existing one - a project worth 2.4 billion kuna ($344 million/317.7 million euro), local media reported.
The works on the 42.6 km section were supposed to start on April 23 but were postponed due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, news daily Vecernji List reported late on Sunday.
After the preparatory works are completed, the company will launch construction no later than September, as it should be completed by November 25, 2023, the report said.
Railway infrastructure operator HZ Infrastruktura, on behalf of Croatia, signed the revamp contract with Cengiz on March 12. Works were expected to be completed in 42 months, by October 2023.
Apart from the construction and reconstruction of railway tracks, the project also includes the revamp of nine railway stations and stops, seven bridges, two viaducts and 21 underpasses and overpasses.
In addition, 25 km of sound protection walls will be built and six railway crossings will be upgraded.
According to the report, the most demanding facility on the section is a 338-metre steel bridge over the river Drava.
The project is of strategic importance for Croatia and represents the biggest railway infrastructure investment in the country's recent history, with 85% of the financing coming from the EU's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
It aims to improve railway connections from the border with Hungary via Zagreb to the Adriatic port of Rijeka, helping increase the port's cargo traffic and its competitiveness.
The section is part of the Mediterranean corridor of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), which connects Southern Europe to Eastern Europe, stretching from Spain to the Ukrainian border.
(1 euro = 7.60278 kuna)