Four bidders are also advancing to the competitive dialogue for the construction and operation of th6/2/2025|Press releasesFour consortia will compete in a competitive dialogue in the public tender for the concessionaire of the D35 motorway The concessionaire will be in charge of the construction, funding, operation and maintenance of the D35 section between Opatovec and Mohelnice, as well as the operation and maintenance of the section from Litomyšl to Opatovec. A total of 5 requests for participation were submitted in the tender procedure. The Ministry of Transport assessed whether all seven applications meet the tender terms and which bidders best meet the technical qualification criteria. The commission then stated that all bidders met the tender terms and recommended – in accordance with the tender terms – limiting their number to four for subsequent negotiations. The Ministry of Transport will further negotiate with them in a competitive dialogue. "The bids we received showed us that we had highly qualified bidders. All of them met the conditions for participation, so it was only the number of points for reference projects of a similar nature that made the difference. I thank all participants for their professional approach during the selection process so far and look forward to further cooperation in this and other PPP projects we are preparing for road and rail. And I will appreciate it if such candidates take part in them," says transport minister Martin Kupka. If no objections are raised against the decision, the Ministry of Transport expects to send the invitation to participate in the competitive dialogue to qualified bidders at the beginning of next year. During the competitive dialogue, the contractual documentation will be finalised in cooperation with the bidders. "We are aiming the entire procurement process to select the winning bidder so that construction can start in 2026. Our goal is to complete the D35 motorway, which will connect Bohemia and Moravia, by 2029," says minister Kupka. As part of cooperation between the public and private sectors, the sections Opatovec – Staré Město (16.6 km) and Staré Město – Mohelnice (18.2 km) will be built on the D35 motorway. The concessionaire will also ensure the operation and maintenance of the 17km sections between Litomyšl and Opatovec, which will be constructed outside the PPP model. The D35 motorway is not only one of the most important transport arteries in the Czech Republic, connecting the eastern and western parts of the country, but also part of the TEN-T network and international "E" roads. When completed, it will relieve the municipalities through which the current I/35 road passes and also the congested D1 motorway. The D35 motorway reached the highest state of progress this year among other motoroways under construction in the Czech Republic. A total of 53.6 kilometres are now simultaneously under construction. The remaining 63.1 kilometres are planned to be launched in the next two years. The entire motorway is due to be completed by the end of 2029. List of bidders who will proceed to the competitive dialogue Consortium consisting of Cintra Global SE, STRABAG Motorway GmbH, Budimex s.a. and Invesis B.V. The ViaCM consortium, consisting of VINCI Highways S.A.S., Abrdn European Sustainable Infrastructure GP V Limited, John Laing Europe Holdings B.V. LitMo Dálnice consortium, consisting of FCC Concesiones de Infraestructuras, S.L., Meridiam Eastern Europe IV A S.A.S. and Metrostav Concessions a.s. The Via 35 Consortium, consisting of TIKEHAU STAR INFRA, HOCHTIEF PPP SOLUTIONS, TIIC, EGIS and OHLA CONCESIONES