A consortium led by Strabag, which holds a 50% stake, has secured a €219m ($245m) contract to construct a section of the E65 motorway in North Macedonia.
The project entails building the 11.5km Bukojčani–Kičevo stretch, which will form part of the Pan-European Transport Corridor VIII.
Construction is expected to take four years, after which the consortium will operate and maintain the completed section for five years.
The contract was awarded following a multi-stage public procurement process conducted by North Macedonia’s Public Enterprise for State Roads (PESR).
The process was conducted through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) electronic procurement system and involved ten pre-qualified bidders.
The Strabag consortium was selected following a process that lasted more than a year.
The motorway section will feature an approximately 370m twin-tube tunnel, five bridges, two viaducts and related infrastructure necessary for a 2x2-lane carriageway.
Additional works will include the construction of junctions, drainage systems, retaining walls and road safety facilities.
The planned motorway aims to improve road links between Skopje, Ohrid’s tourist centre, and the Albanian border by connecting with existing sections between Gostivar–Bukojčani and Kičevo–Ohrid, both currently under construction.
A €110m credit facility for the project is being provided by the EBRD and is backed by a state guarantee.
In addition, the European Union is contributing around €20m in non-repayable grants through the Western Balkans Investment Framework.
Strabag management board member Péter Glöckler said: “The award of this project underlines our strong track record and capabilities in delivering major infrastructure projects across Southeast Europe.
“We are particularly pleased that our scope includes not only construction, but also the operation and maintenance of the completed section, reflecting the trust placed in our long-term infrastructure expertise.”
The new section will form a key part of efforts to establish a continuous motorway link along Corridor VIII, providing a faster and safer route through the region’s mountainous terrain.
Last month, Strabag was appointed to provide infrastructure for the Waltrop Battery Park, a battery storage facility under development in Waltrop, Germany.
The scheme is expected to have a planned capacity of approximately 900MW and a storage capability of around 1.8GWh.
