June 29 – The budget for preparations in Lviv for the 2012 European Championships have been doubled, it has been announced.
Lviv has been the venue in Ukraine that has attracted the most criticism from Michel Platini, the President of UEFA, who in April claimed that it “has made no progress whatsoever”..
But now the money available to complete the work needed has been increased by Hr 5 billion (£42 million/$63 million) to Hr 10.3 billion (£86 million/$129 million), Lviv Regional Vice-Governor Volodymyr Hubytsky has announced.
The money is to be used to finance the construction of a stadium and an airport.
According to the Hubytsky, preparations for Euro 2012 have been speeded up considerably in Lviv since Platini’s remarks which led to main contractor working on construction of the Hr 1.649 billion (£13.84 million/$20.83 million0) stadium being replaced.
Hr 345 million (£3 million/$4.5 million) has been allocated for work at the stadium and at the airport in the current year, which is 150 per cent more than last year, when Hr 216 million (£1.8 million/$2.7 million) was spent, Hubytsky claimed.
He said: ”The pace of construction at the stadium has been sharply increased.
“The building of bearing facilities of the first tier of three grandstands has been completed and the installation of columns of the second tier has begun, which is planned to be finished by August 30.”
Donetsk-based Altcom have replaced Azovintex as the main builder on the stadium and are also leading on the construction of the main runway at Lviv International Airport.
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