The Croatian state road operator Hrvatske Ceste said on Tuesday it selected China Road and Bridge Corporation to build a connecting road between the Vučevica junction on the A1 motorway and a junction on state road 8, worth €74.6 million without VAT, as the economically most favourable.

The estimated value of the 6.85 km road was just under €83 million without VAT.

Four other bids were submitted. Spain’s Comsa and Nortunel submitted a bid worth €119.2 million, Turkey’s Yapi Mekezi Insaat ve Sanayi’s bid was €113.6 million, the bid of Austria’s and Zagreb’s Strabag companies was €87.23 million, and China’s Sinohydro Corproation and Sinohydro Biro submitted a bid worth €113.4 million. The amounts do not include VAT. These companies have 15 days to appeal.

The connecting road is part of a €3.5 million road project in the Split area on which works began in mid-April.