February 28 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's Road Infrastructure Agency said on Friday that it has signed a 133 million levs ($75 million/68 million) deal for the construction of a 19.3-kilometre section of the Mezdra-Botevgrad road with a tie-up of local Geostroy and Patstroy-92.
The contract was signed in October last year but only now officially announced by the government agency, according to public procurement agency data.
The tender for the contract attracted nine offers. The procedure was delayed after last year local construction company Trace Group Hold [BUL:T57] filed a complaint before the country's anti-trust body against the decision of the Road Infrastructure Agency to disqualify the company from participation.
According to registry agency data, Geostroy holds a 60% stake in the winning tie-up, while Patstroy-92 controls the remaining 40% interest.
Last year, a consortium comprising local companies Evropeiski Patishta and Vodno Stroitelstvo - Botevgrad, as well as Slovakia's Vahostav-SK started the construction of another 13.4 kilometres of Mezdra-Botevgrad road under a 267 million levs contract.
The Mezdra-Botevgrad road is part of the 167-km long Vidin-Botevgrad road, which sees intensive traffic from the bridge over the Danube connecting Bulgaria's Vidin to Romania's Calafat.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)