THE TRANSPORT Ministry will announce a tender for the construction of the D1 highway stretch between Lietavská Lúčka and Turany as part of the public private partnership project at the end of this week or the beginning of next week.
Transport Minister Pavol Prokopovič informed the parliamentary committee for economy, privatization and business that the ministry should in February shortlist the best bidders that will subsequently submit binding offers, the SITA news wire wrote.
The minister expects the process to be completed by the end of the first half of 2006. Ministry spokesperson Tomáš Šarluška announced that the ministry would announce the tender but the National Highway Company (NDS) will be responsible for technical matters.
The winner of the tender will be a company holding a concession in which the NDS becomes a shareholder through a non-financial deposit.
Prokopovič thinks that the concession will be valid for 20 to 25 years and then the administration and maintenance of the highway will be taken over by the state. The ministry estimates costs of the 26-kilometre stretch including a 7.5-kilometer tunnel at Sk20 billion (€528 million).
Within the PPP system the ministry plans to fund 95 kilometres of the D1 highway. The ministry estimates costs to total at Sk69 billion (€1.8 billion). If the pilot project is successful, other sections will be built along the system.
Compiled by Beata Balogová from press reports
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