A team led by the local branch of Austria’s Strabag has won a €177m contract to build a new section of the D35 motorway between Úlibice and Hořice in the north of the Czech Republic.

The scope includes work on 16.3km of motorway including 18 bridge structures, 2.7km of noise barriers and one junction.

The new road segment will replace the existing two-lane highway I/35 between Úlibice and Hořice, which is heavily congested.

This stretch of the D35 will form part of the Czech Republic’s national motorway network expansion and also the E442 international transport corridor.

Péter Glöckler, Strabag board member, said: “The new section will ease the burden on the region, improve mobility, and significantly enhance safety along this vital transport corridor.”

The road is due to open to traffic in March 2029 and be fully completed a year later.

Strabag has an 85% share of a consortium which also includes Budimex, Ferrovial subsidiary Cintra and Invesis, according to the Czech Republic’s Ministry of Transport.

The team was selected against three competitors, which included Egis, FCC, Hochtief and Vinci.

A further contract for the D35 motorway is also up for tendering.