​Reconstruction of Széll Kálmán Tér Is about to Start
June 4th, 2014

After the long planning process the reconstruction of Széll Kálmán tér can finally begin in June. The work must be finished by the end of next year. The BKK Centre for Budapest Transport has already made a decision of the constructor. The reconstruction is expected to cost HUF 5.3 billion.

Hopefully the long-awaited reconstruction of Széll Kálmán tér won’t be postponed again. According to the plans the work will be started in June. The reconstruction must be finished by next December, since that is the deadline for the to-be-used EU sources to be accounted. The BKK Centre for Budapest Transport has already made a decision of the constructor: 3 constructors applied for the tender, but one of the applications was pronounced invalid, and from the 2 remaining applicants, KÉSZ Group – WIS Holding JSC and Swietelsky-Strabag they finally chose the first one, who promised to realize the construction for HUF 5.3 billion. For the work to be able to be started they only have to wait whether one of the applicants who were not chosen wants to argue the decision – since if it happens, the construction may have to be postponed again for several months. The BKK Centre for Budapest Transport organized the tender in January 2014, which’s deadline was later postponed to March. The entire reconstruction of the square has been due for ages, and the deadline has been postponed several times.

History of Széll Kálmán Tér

The Széll Kálmán tér (former Moszkva tér) is one of the busiest traffic junctions of Buda and the whole capital. It got its current name in 1929; it was named after former Prime Minister Kálmán Széll. The name was changed in 1951, but 60 years later it was changed back. On the area of the square located at the border of the 1st, the 2nd and the 12th district was a clay mine between the Ottoman era and the 2nd half of the 19th century. Later a mine lake formed there, which was then used as a skating rink, and a sports court and a tennis court were built next to it. The square was made a traffic junction between 1938 and 1941. In 1945 the square and the buildings on it were seriously damaged. In 1972 because of the constructions of Metro Line 2 the traffic on the square was completely rearranged.

Sources:
www.portfolio.huhu.wikipedia.org

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