Highlights

First, Bilfinger Berger built Hungary’s newest motorway in record time. Now the Company is maintaining it around the clock in return for a monthly payment from the Hungarian state.

Text: Julia Rommeshanger, Photos: Fritz Stark

Tibor Paulovics’ gaze switches from one stretch of road to the next. It’s just after midnight. Before the dispatcher’s eyes, four screens show four rainwashed sections of the new M6 motorway that leads south from Budapest to the lowland plains of Hungary. Paulovics is also watching the temperature of the asphalt and the forecasts from the seven weather stations along the route. “The road surface is getting steadily colder, there‘s a risk the rain might turn to ice,” explains István Fricska, the man responsible for motorway operations.

His team at the Operations & Maintenance Center (O&M) monitors the route by video camera around the clock. They record every accident, every instance of damage – and every change in the weather. Especially in winter, their surveillance is essential to keep traffic moving freely despite the ice and snow.

A masterpiece of logistics: 58 kilometers of motorway in just two years

The M6 project company,which also includes Austrian partners as well as Bilfinger Berger BOT, is not only responsible for building and financing the road, but also for operating it over a 20-year period. “For example, that means fixing damage fast, ensuring that the rest areas are clean, and keeping the road clear in winter,” explains Arne Speer, General Manager of the project company.