A consortium of construction firms, Skanska and Strabag, has appealed to the National Highway Company (NDS) to reassess its decision to exclude the consortium from a tender on the construction of the D1 motorway stretch between Lietavská Lúčka and Dubná Skala in Žilina Region on Monday, June 24.
"The reason for the exclusion of our bid is exceptionally surprising, and even curious. The only rational explanation might be a mistake on the part of the authority, or an inappropriate assessment of the bid," said CEO of Skanska Magdaléna Dobišová for the TASR newswire, adding that otherwise this step would have to be viewed as biased.
The NDS is reported to have excluded the bid for the inappropriate length of unprotected emergency exit roads in the 7.5-kilometre Višňové tunnel, which is part of the motorway stretch in question. The companies claim that the length was prescribed by the NDS as binding.
The evaluation process involving the tender has been in progress for a year. Skanska and Strabag came in with the lowest bid, at €338 million, followed by the Doprastav-led consortium at €383 million. The NDS initially decided that Skanska and Strabag were the winners of the bid. Doprastav appealed against the verdict, however, objecting to the extraordinarily low price and the ventilation system in the tunnel. The NDS reassessed the competition and excluded Skanska-Strabag, declaring Doprastav's consortium the winner. The highway authority did not want to comment the matter, as the tender proceedings are still in progress.
The excluded consortium had asked the NDS for a resolution in the matter, the Sme daily wrote.
(Source: TASR, Sme)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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