Bahrain plans to start talks with contractors to finish the Isa Town Interchange project in Northern Bahrain after South Korea’s Sungwon Corporation was unable to fulfill its contractual commitments.

The decision follows the Work Ministry’s decision to withdraw a bank guarantee from Sungwon, reports local English language daily Gulf Daily News. Fahmi al-Jowder, head of the Work Ministry, says the ministry will now start talks with other companies.

“The current conditions are in our favour, with many companies able and ready to take over the project, which may be delayed by two or three months, but award of the project to another company will take more than three weeks,” says Al Jowder.

The project is now expected to be completed in September this year, instead of July.

Sungwon was awarded the $114m contract in 2007. It involved the construction of a three-level interchange, including a flyover and underpass, on Shaikh Salman road (MEED 3:8:07).