Ten bidders interested in the construction of Sofia’s Eastern Tangent

The strategic project for Sofia to build the Eastern Tangent has attracted significant interest from the country’s leading construction companies. Ten bidders – three consortia and seven independent companies – submitted bids for the first phase of the route: the 500-meter section intended to connect the Northern Speed Tangent (NST) with Vladimir Vazov Blvd.

The participants’ documents were opened in the CAIS system on March 26, with the presence of nearly all major players in the infrastructure sector being particularly notable.

The estimated value of the project is over €5.5 million excluding VAT, and the completion deadline is ambitious – just 150 calendar days. The tender was launched in early February.

Although the applications are now public, the companies’ price proposals have not yet been announced and are to be reviewed at a later stage by the Sofia Municipality commission.

Who are the candidates?

All participants’ applications were submitted on March 25, i.e., at the very last possible moment. The following companies and consortia are competing for the “short” but technologically complex 500-meter section: The high level of interest in this relatively short section is no coincidence. The project involves the construction of a complex structure at the intersection with Vladimir Vazov Blvd. – a two-level “diamond” interchange.

• "GBS – Infrastructure Construction" AD;
• "Trace Group Hold" AD;
• "Geoput Vazov" Consortium, comprising "GEOSTROY" AD and "PATSTROY-92" AD;
• “Strabag” EAD;
• “Stilstroy-M” Ltd.;
• DZZD “DLV European Roads 2026”, with participants “DLV” Ltd. and “European Roads” AD;
• “Farmvil” EAD;
• “Kalistratov Group” AD;
• “Nadezhda Vi Stroy” EOOD;
• Consortium “Eastern Tangent 27” DZZD, with participants “BGNova” AD and “SOLAR INVEST 07” EOOD.

In this first phase, the contractor will need to construct the so-called “arms” of the diamond – the four ramps that will allow traffic to merge and exit, as well as massive 7-meter retaining walls made of reinforced earth. These will serve as the foundation for the future overpass, which will be completed in the next phase of the project.

It is expected that after the completion of work on Stage I, traffic will temporarily flow through a T-junction until the bridge over the boulevard itself is built.

The route is designed for “heavy” traffic (11.5 tons per axle), which highlights its key role in diverting transit traffic from the eastern and northern districts directly to the expressway, bypassing the congested city center.

The Sofia Municipality will select a contractor based on the criterion of “best value for money.” The technical proposal, which includes the work plan and deadlines, will account for 40% of the final score, while the financial offer will account for 60%.

An interesting detail in the contract is the enhanced environmental component. To offset the construction in the Poduyane and Kremikovtsi areas, the project calls for the planting of over 1,000 trees and shrubs to act as a natural filter against noise and dust.

Translated with DeepL.