Through the Lieser Gorge

State pays over 20 million euros for a cycle path

Cyclists should soon be able to travel more safely between Spittal and Seeboden.(Bild: Radlobby)

The State Court of Audit has looked at the plans for the cycle path through the Lieserschlucht gorge. And the costs for the state are horrendous. While the government has to dig deep into its pockets, the neighboring communities can look forward to money.

The renovation of the Ertlwand has already improved road safety at a narrow section of the Lieserschlucht gorge. Now, at the beginning of February, the state submitted the second sub-project "Cycle path, drainage and surface renovation" for the major "Cycle path through the Lieserschlucht" project to the state audit office. While the earth wall costs just under 2.94 million euros, part two costs around 20.5 million. Of the total costs of 23.45 million, 19.5 million remain for the state to "pick".

Municipalities even receive money
A bizarre detail: the high inflation of recent years has resulted in a discount in real terms for the neighboring municipalities involved. This is because no value adjustment is planned for their contribution of 1.2 million euros - but the construction costs rose by 33.5 percent. "This means that in real terms, the subsidy from the municipalities is only 75 percent of the originally agreed amount," says the LRH report. The federal government's share also remained the same. The state therefore has to dig deeper into its pockets. The LRH also criticizes this procedure.

"We recommend choosing award procedures that allow for negotiations on the content of the contract. This way, it is specified before the contract is awarded," says LRH Director Günter Bauer.