As many as 14 candidates have lodged bids to construct the second section of Bulgaria's Maritsa motorway, the country's regional development ministry said on Thursday.

The construction of the 34-kilometre stretch, which will link the towns of Dimitrovgrad and Harmanli, has a preliminary value of BGN 100 million. The section should be completed for a period of 27 months.

By comparison, the tender for the construction of Maritsa's first section, connecting the towns of Orizovo and Dimitrovgrad, attracted 12 bidders. All companies and consortia that submitted offers for the stretch in February also took part in the tender for the second motorway section.