Almost 12 million francs too much Construction of the A9 in Valais: canton paid companies too much money for years

The A9 in Valais is becoming a project worth billions with no end in sight: an internal Astra document reveals massive problems with monitoring, invoicing and additional claims.

The construction of the A9 in Valais is once again causing debate. More than two decades after construction began, the highway between Sierre and Brig has still not been fully completed - and the costs are exploding. Instead of the originally calculated 2.1 billion Swiss francs, the Swiss Federal Audit Office is now assuming at least 5.1 billion Swiss francs.

As reported by theTages-Anzeigernewspaper, the federal government is financing the construction of the national road almost in full. However, the practical implementation lies with the canton of Valais. A previously internal audit document from the Federal Roads Office (Astra), which has been made available to the "Tages-Anzeiger", now reveals considerable shortcomings in project supervision and billing.

According to the auditors, the Riedberg tunnel project near Gampel-Steg appears to be particularly problematic. The two tunnel tubes were intended to eliminate a bottleneck and connect existing sections of the A9. However, since the start of construction in 2004, there have been repeated difficulties - including landslides and changes to the project. Despite spending over 220 million Swiss francs, work is still continuing.

11.81 million francs "overcharged"

During an inspection of invoices amounting to 35.5 million Swiss francs, Astra discovered suspected overcharges. According to an internal report, 11.81 million francs were "overcharged". In total, the sum of unlawful claims could amount to up to 20 million francs. In addition, the auditors warn of a "very high" risk of further undetected payments.

The internal controls also raise questions about the role of the cantonal construction management. According to the document, tender conditions were only partially complied with, while at the same time important documents from the construction companies were incomplete, as the "Tages-Anzeiger" further writes.

This makes it more difficult to check the invoices. The report also states that the Valais construction management at the time "systematically sided with the contractors" from 2011 onwards, which triggered numerous legal disputes.

Several proceedings ongoing

Several proceedings are currently before the courts and authorities. Points of contention include construction invoices for the Visp and Eyholz tunnels, the Turtmann section and the Goler landfill site. The Swiss Federal Audit Office had already identified damages amounting to millions there.

Despite the criticism, the Confederation and canton now see progress in cooperation. The Swiss Federal Audit Office notes that projects are now monitored more closely and external expert opinions are consulted more frequently. The relationship between Astra and the Valais authorities is currently "good". The canton also points out that the majority of the recommendations made by the audit offices have now been implemented.

Completion of the final A9 section between Sierre and Leuk is currently scheduled for 2037.