Southeast border construction to begin in summer
The first stage of the southeast border development tender was won by a joint bid by AS Merko Ehitus and AS GRK Infra. The tender saw bids from five qualified bidders.
Head of the Police and Border Guard Board's (PPA) integrated border management bureau Egert Belitšev told ERR that the outcome of the tender is satisfactory and that construction will likely start this summer.
The winner will now put together a work plan and start building infrastructure on the 23.5-kilometer section of the border between Estonia and Russia. "It will include a patrol road, fence, camera posts, communications, power lines and access roads for the section. All the necessary infrastructure for border surveillance equipment that will be installed at a later time," Belitšev said.
Belitšev said the PPA expects construction work to begin this summer.
The PPA is ready to move on with border tenders. "Once we have signed the contract, agreed on work to be done and the current winner has started work. We have been busy preparing the next section tender and will go public with it soon," Belitšev said.
The PPA bureau chief also said that border construction is expected to stimulate the local economy. "While decisions are up to the winning bidder, local labor is usually employed in such projects – construction workers and equipment. Since this will require a lot of people, it is possible local accommodation providers will also see more business," he added.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
