SJSC “State Real Estate” (SRE) has announced the second closed price survey for the construction of the eastern border. As part of the second price survey, construction companies will be identified, which will build seven border sections with a total length of 63.9 kilometres. As a result of the construction works of the first two price surveys, a total of 147.8 kilometres will be built, tells Renārs Griškevičs, Chairman of the Board of SRE.
In addition to the works already started on the construction of nine border sections in the length of 83.9 kilometres, the new price survey will result in the conclusion of agreements for the construction and arrangement of a 64-kilometre-long border strip. In total, it is planned to build and arrange the 173-kilometre border between the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Belarus.
16 construction companies have been invited to participate in the new price survey, which were selected in accordance with the selection criteria developed and approved in 2021, which include the assessment of the reputation of construction companies and the volume of construction work performed in 2020. Contractors will be able to submit their bids and timetables, which will be evaluated by the end of May, so that construction agreements can be signed as early as the beginning of July.
“Currently, the work is going according to plan. The capital company is doing everything possible to implement the entrusted work as soon as possible. Therefore, together with construction companies, the State Border Guard, the Procurement State Agency and the Ministry of the Interior, we are taking all necessary preventive actions and moving forward according to schedule even in these volatile conditions,” R. Griškevičs points out.
Until now, SRE has ensured the development of topographic plans so that SIA “Citrus Solutions” can perform design works in the first nine priority sections in the shortest possible time. Construction will start on seven out of the nine sections of the border in the summer. The next price surveys for the construction of the eastern border are planned to be announced when detailed user requirements for the Daugava section and lateral routes are received. The next price surveys include the section along the Daugava and the construction of border guard infrastructure.
The eastern border project is an inter-institutional co-operation project. The construction of the eastern border is a security project of the highest priority implemented by the SRE. In accordance with the Law on the Construction of the External Land Border Infrastructure adopted by the Saeima on 12 November 2021, the SRE manages, implements and supervises all works necessary for the construction of the border infrastructure, implements the procurements necessary for construction, and concludes procurement contracts. The implementation of the project is supervised by the Monitoring Committee for the Construction of External Border Infrastructure, which consists of representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economics, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, State Border Guard, National Collateral Agency, SJSC “Latvian State Radio and Television Centre”, SJSC “State Real Estate”, JSC “Latvian State Forests”, Latvian Geospatial Information Agency and the National Armed Forces. The project envisages the construction of 173 kilometres of the state border strip.
Maintenance of objects important for the security of Latvia and the European Union and the development of borders is one of the directions of SRE activity. In total, approximately 72.9 million euros are currently being invested in the modernisation of border crossing points under the supervision of SRE. As a result of these projects, by the end of 2023, comfortable and modern working conditions will be available to the staff of border control points, and the infrastructure necessary for border control and customs control will be improved, making border crossing more efficient and faster.
