The long and winding road

With over EUR 15 (zł.58) billion in EU subsidies for road, railway and airport construction for the period 2007-2013, Poland no longer has an excuse for neglecting improvements to its road system. But the possibility that allocation of the money will be mismanaged remains a serious threat. "Since 1994 one of the main excuses why big infrastructure programs could not be developed was shortage of money. Now, the problem is how to spend the money," says Strabag's president of the Board, Dariusz Słotwiński, adding: "Unless we treat the road program as an integrated national program, we will not succeed."

Tender procedures
One of the obstacles to efficient management of the subsidies is the over-regulation of tender procedures. "The bulk of tenders cannot be settled for ages and end up being canceled," complains Słotwiński. Strabag representatives say that every second tender the company participates in is called off, something which intensified following the wave of investment in Poland after the country joined the EU.

Słotwiński also points to new EU regulations such as Natura 2000, the European ecological network. "Because of Natura 2000, many decisions on road locations have been called off. We are constantly being blocked. Poland is not treated in the same way as other developed European countries," says Słotwiński, who claims that the problems of land acquisition are directly connected with Natura 2000 regulations.

Worker shortage
Even if the money is finally allocated to specific projects, there might be nobody to build the roads, as thousands of construction workers are working on sites in the UK. "Now we have to pay 25 percent more to bricklayers than last year as there is a serious shortage of them," explains Strabag's Alfred Watzl.