The plan was to make the offers of the different bidders public in early May, but as potential contractors had had additional questions concerning the tender, conditions had to be adjusted, which again meant a legal requirement to extend the deadline, the Road Administration’s project manager, Alo Kippar, said on Monday.

According to Kippar, one issue are the wildlife crossings. For the first time a system will be in place that asks drivers to reduce speed via automatically changed signs as soon as large animals approach the area. The system will dispose of the otherwise typical fences and instead warn drivers. Potential suppliers have now submitted requests for specification.

This meant that the beginning of construction would be delayed at least by the legally prescribed time, which in this case meant that work could only start in late July, Kippar said.

According to the tender’s conditions, the contractor with the winning bid will have to do construction work worth some €4.8 million this year alone. The total cost of the section’s expansion is €60 million, to which value-added tax will be added as well.

Plans include rest and parking areas as well as wildlife crossings and tunnels. The section in question is altogether some 15 km long. The plans aim for a vehicle speed of up to 120 km/h. The section of the Tallinn-Tartu road will remain open throughout the construction period. The project is expected to be finished in 2020.

Animated video of the planned motorway by the Road Administration