Nikoloski: Procedure begins for the Radoviš–Strumica–Novo Selo expressway to the Bulgarian border

North Macedonia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski announced on Saturday from Radoviš that the procedure has begun for selecting the design firm that will prepare the full documentation for the construction of the expressway from Radoviš, through Strumica and Novo Selo, to the Bulgarian border, as Centar.mk reports.

According to him, the documentation includes the pre-design, environmental studies, social studies and the feasibility study. The deadline for submitting bids by the design firms expires on October 8 — in about ten days — after which the winner selection procedure will begin.

The chosen design firm will have 6 to 9 months to prepare the studies, after which the tender for the road’s construction itself will be opened. The project will be financed with the own funds of the Public Enterprise for State Roads (JPDP), which, according to Nikoloski, is in good financial shape.

The minister expressed hope that, if procedures proceed according to plan, ground works could begin by autumn. He emphasized that the expressway will not stop in Strumica, but will continue to the Bulgarian border, opening a new express road link between the two countries.