Navarra’s regional president María Chivite announced on 16 September 2026 in the Parliament of Navarra that work to duplicate the Belate Tunnel would be put out to tender again and said she would not make an additional payment of €8.3 million to the previous joint venture of bidders. She is relying on the Asesoría Jurídica of the Gobierno de Navarra, which sees no sound legal basis for the amount claimed for the change and warns of liability risks.
At the centre of the issue is a subsequent project-change request through which the contractors claimed additional costs of around €8.3 million. The Intervención General of the Gobierno de Navarre had already issued a so-called reparo suspensivo on this change in November 2025. The government subsequently took internal action, tightened construction oversight and replaced the head of the Directorate-General for Public Works. Chivite said the retendering was intended to put the project on a sound legal footing while also safeguarding public funds.
The duplication of the Belate tunnels is a major regional infrastructure project. According to the government, the original contract was worth around €76 million, including VAT. Retendering is expected to bring delays and organisational changes at the construction site. The regional government says it will manage the work so that the route remains safe and its transport objectives are met.
In parallel, the Audiencia Nacional is conducting a criminal investigation into the original award of the Belate works. The investigation is officially ongoing; Chivite gave no details in the plenary session about its scope or possible impact on the future tender. However, the existence of the investigation increases political pressure on the government to clarify responsibilities and ensure transparency.
Politically, the decision divides the Parliament of Navarra. Coalition partners are calling for swift clarification and a robust timetable for the retendering. Opposition groups say the regional president must draw clear conclusions from the legal findings. What is clear is that the retendering announced on 16 September and the decision not to make the disputed payment follow a formal legal assessment by the regional administration. Whether these steps will limit delays to the project and permanently reduce legal risks depends on future procurement decisions and the progress of the investigation.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).