September 18 (SeeNews) - Albania has selected the proposal for the design of the Llogara tunnel, near the country's southwestern coastline, submitted by iC Consulenten Ziviltechniker, ELEA iC and IBE, SEED Consulting shpk and InfraKonsult shpk, local media reported.
The decision comes a day after infrastructure minister Belina Balluku revealed that two proposals had qualified in the tender for the engineering plan of the tunnel, from which the authorities will select the winning bid, local news provider Exit.al reported on Thursday.
Albania's government opened an international tender for the design of the tunnel in June. The tender procedure for its construction of the tunnel at an estimated cost of 6.3 million euro, to be funded by the government, will take place by the end of 2020, according to Exit.al.
The future six-kilometre-long tunnel will reduce driving time between Orikum and Palasa to just ten minutes from 55 minutes, which will result in an increase in the number of tourists in the area, Albanian Daily News quoted Balluku as saying in June.
Albanian prime minister Edi Rama said in June that the tunnel is expected to have a positive impact on tourism, because it will be close to the planned Vlora airport, Exit.al reported at the time.
($ = 0.8440 euro)