Transport ministry unseals price bids for Bratislava bypass construction

Representatives of the Transport, Construction and Regional Development Ministry unsealed the price offers of four consortia interested in building and operating a motorway bypass around Bratislava. The planned bypass around Bratislava should be made of part of the D4 motorway and part of the R7 expressway. The construction work should begin in 2016, and it's expected to be completed in 2019. The costs have been assessed at over €1.3 billion, with the overall cost of the commission predicted to reach over €4.5 billion. The lowest price for the concession for the Bratislava bypass on the D4 highway and R7 dual carriageway from the capital to the village of Holice through a PPP project was submitted by the international consortium Obchvat Nula. It is headed by the Spanish company Cintra Infraestructuras Internacional. The price is significantly lower than original expectations. The consortium wants to build the sections at a length of 59 kilometres over more than four years. "This transparent competition generated considerably better prices than expected," said Transport Minister Jan Počiatek.