Italian construction company Astaldi will build the EUR 215 million section of the Drumul Taberei-Pantelimon metro line in Bucharest, after the National Council for Solving Complaints (CNSC) ruled out the complaint of Greek company Aktor, according to Mediafax. Aktor also took part in the bid and challenged the authorities' decision to choose the consortium led by Astaldi.

Metrorex, the company that manages the Bucharest municipality subway network, received the confirmation from CNSC to continue the auction procedures with the Italian company, which was selected as the main contractor at the end of February.

The joint venture made of Astaldi (with a 39 per cent stake), the Spanish Company FCC and two Romanian companies, Delta ACM and AB Construct will design and construct the structural works for six kilometres of the new metro line connecting Drumul Taberei to Pantelimon, which features nine stations. The section the consortium will build will connect the Doamnei station to the Opera metro station. The works are planned to start in June this year and last until March 2013. The European Investment Bank and state funding will cover the required financing.

Astaldi Group has been active in Romania for more than 20 years in the transport infrastructures sector. At present, the company is upgrading the Bucharest – Constanta railway line, a EUR 178 million project, the Lia Manoliu national stadium in Bucharest, a EUR 140 million contract, the cable-stayed bridge in Basarab -EUR 129 million , sections of the Medgidia –Constanta motorway (EUR 143 million) and the Constanta By-Pass (EUR 104 million). It also works on the third phase of the Otopeni International Airport modernization project. In 2010, the group registered sales worth EUR 2 billion and a 12 percent increase in net profit, up to EUR 62 million , compared with 2009.

Teodora Vaduva