2023-10-27 11:53:00
New twist in the Liège tram affair. After two and a half years of delay, the work is finally progressing, but it is the extension towards Seraing which is now threatened. In fact, the Walloon government is refusing, for the moment, the construction site.
The problem is that to carry out this extension, it is necessary to use the same materials as those used on the Liège section and supplied by the Tram’Ardent consortium. But that’s where it gets stuck, according to the government, the quote received for the extension of the line to Seraing is completely overpriced. “We had estimates for these extensions previously valued at 18 million euros, and now we are being handed prices of 60 million euros” justifies Philippe Henry (Ecolo), the Walloon Minister of Mobility.
Wallonia has therefore decided to freeze the start of work for the moment, but if it waits too long, European subsidies risk being refused. In Seraing, the residents do not understand. “We’re starting to get a little nervous, we wonder if it will one day arrive“, “They said they were going to do it, but it’s expensive“.
For the mayor of Seraing, things must evolve. “Remove the route because we cannot manage public finances, and the private sector is trying to take money from the public, we cannot give in to that, we must be able to better manage this issue“.
Negotiations between Tram’Ardent and the Walloon government continue, a meeting is planned in the coming days.
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