Bulgaria Regional Development Minister Rosen Plevneliev has announced the schedule for publication of the remaining bids for completion of the Trakia Highway.

The Minister reminded that the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, the project managing authority had already launched LOT 3, on January 25.

He went on to announce that Lot 4 would be launched at the end of February Construction of Lot 2 would begin on May 3; six weeks later, construction of Lot 3 would commence; followed by Lot 4, a month and a half later.

The terms and conditions for those companies that apply for the projects, are being processed at the moment, the Minister explained. The size of penalties would be reduced because, according to Plevneliev, a 25% penalty is extreme.

A more precise description of the experts who wished to participate would be demanded, so that no discrepancies in diplomas between Bulgarian and foreign experts would be received, along with more accurate description of schedules.

"The strong arm of the state remains, and this is the most important thing. Even if there is "force majeure", even if a bomb falls, and even if war breaks out, the highway cannot stop," said the minister.

Plevneliev said he believed the greatest interest expressed by companies would be for Lot 3. He also referred to his statements earlier on Friday, concerning another Bulgarian highway project:

"Hemus Highway is not a European corridor and and there is no possibility of EU funding of the construction. I am allowing up to two years for Hemus to have a tender procedure ready and an auction started."

When completed, the Trakia Highway will cross the entire breadth of Bulgaria, from the Serbian border via Sofia, Plovdiv and Stara Zagora, to the Black Sea coastal town of Burgas, a total distance of almost 450 kms.