Coronavirus puts dent in Bratislava public transport expansion

The completion of Bratislava’s new bus terminal is being pushed back to 2021

Back in 2017, the City of Bratislava entered into an agreement with HB Reavis for the construction of the Mlynske Nivy bus station. At the time it was expected for construction to last for about three years and for the terminal to be completed in the 2^nd half of the year 2020.

The terminal’s construction site is the largest one of its kind in the entirety of Central Europe. It is meant to house not only new public transport stations but also plenty of room for shops and offices, alongside a large business tower and a new boulevard. The Nivy station is meant to surpass its previous iteration in pretty much every conceivable way.

Coronavirus delays

Yet such large projects demands a large number of workers to be present on-site. And with the arrival of the novel coronavirus on the shores of Europe, all such initiatives were forced to grind to a halt. The case was no different for Nivy station where construction work while not entirely stopped, slowed down to a crawl.

The company responsible for the construction, HB Reavis, has fully implemented all healthcare guidelines adopted by the Slovak government and due to its compliance has been forced to push back the opening date of the new venue a few months into 2021- despite the fact that construction work was proceeding according to schedule prior to the emergency.

“The end of 2020 was supposed to be a celebration of our many years of work. By opening this multifunctional project and welcoming the first customers, we were to change the face of Bratislava and present a unique public space designed for travel, shopping and relaxation. With regard to the effects of the pandemic and state measures, the possible date for the opening of the Nivy Station is in spring 2021, when the project will be ready with the construction.”, stated René Popik, the company’s CEO.