Delays and additional costs Construction projects in Bern get out of hand - taxpayers bear the burden of millions
Delays, cost explosions, additional loans worth millions: the Canton of Bern's construction projects have been heavily criticized. An overview of the most expensive mishaps - and the unanswered questions about responsibility.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The Canton of Bern is struggling with massive additional loans and problems such as building ground difficulties and planning errors.
- Time pressure, limited competition and a lack of expertise have been identified as the main causes of the breakdowns and high additional costs.
- Political responsibility and structural weaknesses are now being discussed.
- An audit committee and the cantonal audit office are to investigate the shortcomings.
From the Biel campus to Tavannes Machines - the Canton of Bern's construction projects are plagued by breakdowns and cost explosions. Several hundred million francs in additional loans are a burden on taxpayers, as "Der Bund" writes.
An overview of the problem cases
Campus Biel: A legal dispute that went all the way to the Federal Supreme Court and an aborted tendering process caused delays of several years. The total costs have risen to CHF 403 million due to an additional credit of CHF 100 million. The Biel campus is to provide a new home for the Biel University of Applied Sciences.
New building for Bern University of Applied Sciences, Weyermannshaus campus: Difficult building ground, rising prices and supply chain problems: construction work has barely begun when an additional 44 million francs are needed. Total costs: 428 million francs.
Interlaken triple hall: A floor slab that rose 60 centimetres due to groundwater led to a construction stop and additional costs of CHF 7 million. The canton advances the money, while liability issues remain unresolved.
Niederwangen police building: After problems with the building ground, the costs have risen from the original 270 million to 373 million francs. The construction delay is dragging on.
Tavannes Machines factory building: The building purchased for CHF 6.2 million subsequently turned out to be in danger of collapsing. Hundreds of metal supports secure the ceilings, the additional costs are unclear. Legal responsibility on the part of the seller seems difficult to enforce.
Personnel turbulence exacerbates the crisis
In addition to the construction problems, there is a significant personnel gap: Lorenz Held, cantonal master builder and head of the Office for Land and Buildings, resigned in February. Officially, his departure has nothing to do with the mishaps. But critics sense a crisis in management.
The question was raised in the Grand Council at the end of November: "What's going wrong here?" The Tavannes Machines project in particular is being criticized. Markus Aebi (SVP) believes the canton is responsible: "The many additional and supplementary loans are forcing us to prioritize investments. Without them, we wouldn't need to relax the debt brake."
Aebi also criticizes the canton's lack of expertise when it comes to major projects. "There is a lack of willingness to implement projects within the approved budget." Time pressure and limited competition further exacerbate the situation.
Error culture under pressure
Construction Director Christoph Neuhaus (SVP) points out that the canton is currently implementing projects worth CHF 1.6 billion at the same time. "We are reaching our organizational limits." At the same time, Neuhaus sees no personal responsibility and points to unforeseeable risks, such as structural problems or inadequate ground investigations.
However, self-criticism is largely absent: in the case of Tavannes Machines, there may have been "time pressure", but Neuhaus rejects the accusation of acting naively: "Anyone who expects a building that is over a hundred years old to be in perfect condition would be naive themselves."
Who is responsible?
For Jürg Rothenbühler (center), one thing is clear: "When things have to be done quickly, mistakes happen." In the case of Tavannes Machines, it is difficult to understand how the defects were only discovered after the purchase. "It needs to be clarified who is responsible."
A business audit committee (GPK) was commissioned to take a closer look at the processes. The cantonal audit office also wants to look into the case in 2024.
The repeated problems shed light on the excessive demands placed on the Canton of Bern with its ambitious large-scale projects. Criticism of time pressure, lack of competence and cost explosions is being voiced. The work of the GPK and the financial auditors could soon show how deep the misery goes and whether structural changes are necessary. Taxpayers remain tense - and worried.
This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). All content created by AI is verified by the editorial team.
