The Capital Projects Directorate will need to announce a third tender for the conceptual design and main project for the reconstruction of the road from Jasikovac to the Cmiljača base settlement, after the latest tender was canceled due to a complaint from the Podgorica-based company Indel Engineering.
The project involves upgrading the 10.5-kilometer route to connect the Cmiljača ski center and the Žarski ski resort, and will be executed under a “design and build” model.
In early April, the Capital Projects Directorate selected the offer from the Bijelo Polje company Konstruktor Group as the most favorable, valued at €14.13 million. However, the decision was challenged by Indel Engineering.
The Public Procurement Rights Protection Commission annulled the tender, citing procedural violations by the Directorate related to clarifications in the tender documentation issued on February 11, which amended the project completion deadlines. Additionally, the Directorate failed to provide confirmation of bid guarantee submissions along with the bid opening records on the same day in the Montenegrin Public Procurement System (CEJN).
The Commission ruled that these significant procedural violations could not be remedied retroactively, leading to the cancellation of the entire tender process.
Eurozox was the second-ranked bidder, followed by Indel Engineering. Companies Bemax and AG UNS Architectural and Construction Institute were excluded due to improperly prepared declarations.
This was the second tender for the project, originally announced at the end of last year with an estimated value of €16.9 million. The first tender was launched in November and canceled in mid-December due to the need for amendments to the tender documents.
The Cmiljača ski center is located 14 kilometers from Bijelo Polje on the Bjelasica mountain, while the Žarski ski resort is on the northwestern side of the same mountain, within Mojkovac municipality. Construction at Žarski began in 2020. The government aims to develop and connect these northern locations under the management of the state company Ski Resorts of Montenegro.
The project includes road reconstruction, intersection and access road construction, object renovation, landslide remediation, and the addition of sidewalks and separate bicycle lanes on both sides to enhance the mountain center’s tourist appeal. The plan also requires installation of spot lighting along the route.
Designers must submit a power load report and specify measurement points to obtain necessary permits from the Montenegrin electricity distributor (CEDIS). The project received urban-technical approval from the Bijelo Polje Construction Secretariat in 2014.
