French prosecutors announced they will look into allegations of bribery involving Vinci, which is building a 43km stretch of toll road linking Moscow to St Petersburg, reports The Financial Times.
Russian activists allege that the French company bribed officials to win the contract, which they have valued at up to $1.5bn.
The company has denied the allegations. "We are at the full disposal of the judicial system to provide all the answers it deems necessary," it said.
The company also pointed out that it was only a preliminary inquiry that had been opened in France, where the court tells the police to collect more evidence in response to a formal complaint being filed.
The appointment of a judge to lead the investigation would come at a later date and the case could be dropped altogether in the mean time.
French anti-corruption group Sherpa, which along with partner NGOs filed a complaint against Vinci Concessions' Russian unit on June 24, said that it welcomed the opening of the preliminary investigation.
Read more of this report from The Financial Times.