A EUR137.4 million contract was signed by the Roads Executive Agency with the Turkish consortium Mapa-Cengiz Construction, for the construction of the Lyulin motorway. The 18.8 km Lyulin motorway will start from Sofia's southern bypass toll road and has to reach the Daskalovo road junction to the west of the Bulgarian capital via Souhodol, Golyamo Bouchino and Malo Bouchino. The project envisages the construction of three tunnels (1,269 metres) and 26 bridges and viaducts, since the motorway will pass through the Stara Planina mountain. The new motorway will consist of two lanes in each direction with a central reservation and emergency hard shoulders. The future motorway is part of the European transport corridor IV in its stretch Vidin-Sofia-Kulata and corridor VIII in its stretch Gyueshevo-Kyustendil-Sofia-Trakia motorway-Burgas. It will provide a quicker drive from the northwestern border with Romania and Serbia to Greece in the south. The project is funded by the ISPA programme of the EU, through a EUR111.3 million grant, and the remaining EUR37.1 million of the financing will be provided by the Roads Executive Agency. The project will start in October and should be completed in three years. 35/06.