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S-Link finances: City of Salzburg maintains cost cap
Despite discussions between the city and state of Salzburg, the required cost cap for the S-Link has not been met. An agreement before the referendum on November 10th seems unlikely.
S-Link finances: City of Salzburg maintains cost cap
The negotiations between the city of Salzburg and the state of Salzburg to finance the S-Link project have not yet resulted in a cost cap. The city is demanding this, but the state does not want to hold further discussions until the construction work has been put out to tender in order to determine specific costs.
The first construction phase from Salzburg Central Station to Mirabellplatz is currently on the agenda. This should be advertised as quickly as possible. During the latest negotiations, which took place on Monday evening, it became clear that an agreement on a financing agreement before the referendum on November 10th appears impossible. Wilfried Haslauer, the state governor of the ÖVP, emphasized that a concrete call for tenders was necessary in order to seriously advance the planning. “So we know what the first phase actually costs and can create a sound basis for the further construction phases,” he explained.
Cost estimates inadequate
The available cost estimates proved to be insufficient to achieve a clear financing regulation before the referendum. According to Haslauer, only the result of the tender will create a solid basis for discussion about the financing of the coming sections. Mayor Bernhard Auinger from the SPÖ supports this approach, but maintains the demand for a cost cap. “It would have been dubious to decide quickly before the vote how high the cost cap should be,” said Auinger in relation to the upcoming vote.
A current example of such a financing arrangement could be the example of the city of Linz, where a cost share of 7.5 percent and a maximum cost cap of 50 million euros were agreed upon for the expansion of the city regional railway. This regulation could serve as a model for Salzburg.
Public discussion about the S-Link
The discussion about the S-Link will be taken up again on Tuesday evening. In the new discussion series “A Place at the Word” in the Müllner Bräustübl, supporters and opponents of the project meet. The event will be broadcast live on Radio Salzburg from 7 p.m. and can also be followed online at salzburg.ORF.at and the streaming platform ORF ON. These conversations could be crucial in shaping public opinion regarding the S-Link project.
The outcome of the referendum on November 10th will be decisive for whether and how the discussions on the cost cap will be continued in the future. according to information from salzburg.orf.at.