MP questions 20bn ISK consultancy plan for major road projects

Opposition MP Ólafur Adolfsson questioned a planned 20 billion Icelandic króna consultancy contract for the Sundabraut road project and new Hvalfjörður tunnels, mbl.is reported. The five-year contract, advertised by the infrastructure company Göng og brú, would cover project management and preliminary design, not construction.

During an unscheduled question session in parliament on Thursday, Adolfsson asked Infrastructure Minister Eyjólfur Ármannsson why the consultancy team was needed and whether its work could be done more cost-effectively. He said he had thought that tenders to build the transport structures would include design work.

Adolfsson compared the estimated cost with the salaries of more than 200 full-time public employees over five years, and said the minister had not clearly explained what the consultancy team would do.

Ármannsson said the company was seeking general consultancy services. Sundabraut was among the projects being considered for transfer to Göng og brú, but no decision had been made on how that transfer would work.

The minister said the company had a contact person liaising with Sundabraut’s project management and that the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration had held consultations with its chief executive. The company needed expert advice on matters including its business plan and decision-making, he said. Although it operated independently, it still needed specialist expertise, as do Isavia and other infrastructure companies.