Portuguese Banco Espirito Santo SA and Swiss UBS AG will fund the construction of Trakia highway in Bulgaria.

Thomson Financial quoted one of the companies to construct the highway as saying that the two banks will unite for the construction and management of the highway.

Another Swiss bank, Credit Suisse, initially took part in the concession for the construction of the highway, mediapool.bg said.

The bank withdrew its participation after Bulgaria decided to change the conditions of the concession contract.

Bulgaria and the concessionaire, a consortium of Portuguese and Bulgarian companies, finally signed the contract in the end of April 2007.

Regional Development and Public Works Minister Assen Gagauzov then said that a number of banks were interested in funding the project but refused to announce their names.