STOCKHOLM, Sweden, March 12, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Skanska (Other OTC:SKSBF) has secured an assignment to construct a new ice-hockey stadium for next year's world championship in Prague, the Czech Republic. The contract is valued at SEK 815 M (CZK 2.8 billion) and is included in order bookings for the first quarter of 2003. The customer is Bestsport, a subsidiary of the Czech gaming company Sazka.
The Sazka Arena construction project will be one of the most rapid undertaken in Europe in recent years. The facility is to be completed in time for the opening of the world championships at the end of April 2004. The preparations for the project with an area of 36,000 square meters, commenced in 2002 and both the ground and foundation work have begun.
The facility, with capacity for 17,900 spectators will have boxes and several cafes and restaurants. The stadium now taking shape in Prague is only ten minutes' from the city center and will be used for other sports events, as well as concerts, exhibitions and conferences.
The project is being conducted by the Czech subsidiary Skanska CZ, which has sales of approximately SEK 7 billion.
In recent years, Skanska has completed a large number of arenas: The Reliant Stadium, in Houston, Texas and the Gillette Stadium, in Boston, Massachusetts, in the US; Arena 2000, in Jaroslavl and the Sports Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia; the Hartwall Arena, in Helsinki, Finland; and the Kinnarps Arena in Jonkoping and the Lofbergs Lila Arena in Karlstad, Sweden.
Project progress reports are presented at www.sazkaarena.com/halasazka.php
For further information please contact: Arne Kejdana, Communications Manager, Skanska CZ, tel +420 267 095 444 Peter Gimbe, Press Officer, Skanska AB, tel +46 8 753 88 38
This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com
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