At the end of July, bids were opened for an extension of the subway in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia. Reports stated that a total of five companies had submitted documents including Vinci, Taisei, Obayashi, Bouygues and a consortium of Mitsubishi/ Nishimatsu/Amec. Three bidders were reportedly relegated due to technical shortcomings in their bids, which leaves the final stage of the competition between Taisei and the Mitsubishi/ Nishimatsu/Amec group. Announcement of award is due shortly and the successful bidder will construct two metro stations and 2.5km of subway. The Japanese Bank for International Cooperation is assisting with finance for the project.
