  Physics aspects of a JINR project to reach the planned 5A GeV energy for the
Au and U beams and to increase the bombarding energy up to 10A GeV are
discussed. The project aims to search for a possible formation of a strongly
interacting mixed quark-hadron phase. The relevant problems are exemplified. A
need for scanning heavy-ion interactions in bombarding energy, collision
centrality and isospin asymmetry is emphasized.
