The lowest offer for the design and construction of the Danube Bridge 2, linking Vidin with Romania's Kalafat, stands at under EUR 100 million, it emerged after the offers of the four short-listed candidates were opened at the ministry of transport. Spain's FCC came up with a EUR 105 million offer with a 5%, or EUR 5.260 million, discount. The offer submitted by the consortium between France's Vinci and Bulgaria's Glavbolgarstroy and Moststroy amounts to EUR 268.21 million. The consortium between France's Bougues, Italy's Rizzani de Eccher and Bulgaria's Transstroy of Varna came up with a EUR 183.149 million offer. The tie-in between Germany's Zublin and France's Eiffel offered to build the bridge for EUR 158.298 million.

The lowest and the highest offers are usually eliminated at this stage of the procedure. The lowest offer, however, cannot be automatically eliminated if it complies with the administrative and the technical requirements, the transport ministry said. The most realistic offer is that of Bougues, Rizzani de Eccher and Transstroy, experts say.

The contractor for the implementation of the project should be selected by March 2007. The term for the construction of the bridge is set at 38 months after the contract is signed.