€5,224 billion (as of 2010). According to data from Deutsche Bahn, around €540 million had been spent on the VDE 8.1 project in 2011. Financing agreements for around €2.1 billion were still outstanding at the beginning of 2011. These were to be finalised when planning for the affected sections was completed. At the end of 2007, the projected cost was about €5.069 billion. At the end of 2008, the total estimated cost was €5,178 billion. The new and upgraded lines were evaluated with a benefit-cost ratio of 1.8. The project is economically viable, based on a recent traffic forecast for 2025. When the project was temporarily suspended in mid-1999, DM 620 million had been invested in the line. Up to 31 December 2005, €705 million had been invested in the project, including about €550 million for the high-speed line. In the following years, the total expenditure incurred for the planning and construction of the new line increased to €747 million to the end of 2006, €833 million to the end of 2007, €959 million to the end of 2008. and €1,225 million to the end of 2009. Around €1.7 billion had been spent by mid-2011. On the basis of a decision of the mediation committee of the Bundestag and the Bundesrat, the provision of federal funds for the route were significantly reduced in December 2003. According to the Federal Government's investment plan for the transport infrastructure, €741.4 million was allocated to the project in the period 2006–2010. The funding requirement that is in excess of the €3.641 billion of federal funds as of 2011 is to be provided by Deutsche Bahn's own funds and third parties. The state of Thuringia is investing a total of €240 million from the European Regional Fund in the two high-speed line projects (Nuremberg–Erfurt and Erfurt–Leipzig/Halle). In December 2008, the Federal Minister of Transport, Wolfgang Tiefensee announced that additional funds would be available so that it could be commissioned in 2016. From 2010 onwards, more than €200 million was to be made available by the federal government. At the latest from 2013 onwards, the railway would receive an annual budgetary allocation of €350 million. The planned total costs for the new line were €2.7 billion in early 2010. Until then, construction contracts of €1.2 billion had been awarded. For the sections under construction, tenders had still not been let for construction amounting to €340 million.