A contract for the design and construction of 2.7 kilometers of the “Struma“ motorway near Simitli reaches 107,889,340.04 Euros with VAT. Thus, the price per kilometer amounts to 39.96 million Euros – the highest value indicated so far for a motorway section in Bulgaria according to the analysis of the Road Safety Institute.
The contract was signed on October 6, 2026 between the “Road Infrastructure“ Agency and DZZD “AM Struma 3.1“. The section is from km 373+300 to km 376+000 and should take transit traffic from and to Razlog and Bansko outside the borders of Simitli.
The ceiling is formed by 13 market offers
The order was awarded through negotiation without prior announcement, with one participant invited. Before that, the RIA held market consultations, in which 13 companies and associations participated. Their indicative offers were in the range of 51.38 million to 97.4 million euros excluding VAT, Economic.bg reported.
According to the Road Safety Institute, the estimated value of about 90.09 million euros excluding VAT, or 108.11 million euros including VAT, was determined by the simple arithmetic mean of the submitted offers. The organization disputes this approach, as well as the decision not to hold an open competitive procedure. The statement about the method of forming the ceiling is the position of the IPB, and not an independent conclusion of a control body.
In the final contract, construction and design are worth 89.91 million euros excluding VAT. Of these, 1.56 million euros are for design activities, 80.32 million euros - for construction and assembly works, and 8.03 million euros are provided for additional costs. Including VAT, the amount reaches 107.89 million euros. A separate contract for consulting services and construction supervision was concluded for 3.15 million euros excluding VAT.
API justifies the direct award with technical connection
API motivates the choice of procedure with the technical connection between the new section and the already constructed part of lot 3.1. According to the agency, attracting another contractor would complicate the organization of the construction site, technological consistency and the distribution of warranty liability. As an additional argument, it is stated that the technical project was prepared by the same association that performed the main part of the lot.
In its opinion on the preliminary control, the Public Procurement Agency noted that the technical limitations must be proven with an independent expertise. “In support of its claims for the presence of technical reasons, the contracting authority should have independent technical expertise“, it is stated in the opinion, quoted by Economic.bg. The AOP also noted that the request to remove transit traffic from Simitli was made back in 2018.
What's next
The Road Safety Institute insists that the contract be suspended and reviewed, as well as that inspections be carried out by the Court of Auditors, the Anti-Corruption Commission and the European Prosecutor's Office. The organization also wants an independent international technical expertise to assess the real value of the route compared to market prices.
The design and construction period is 605 calendar days - 240 days for design and 365 days for construction. It begins upon fulfillment of the agreed conditions, including securing financing and the necessary design and construction documentation.
Sources: segabg.com, economic.bg, news.bg