Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport has extended the deadline for bids on the $2.6bn Mafraq-Ghweifat road project in Abu Dhabi until 6 December.

The extension is the second delay to bidding on the project, after the department delayed the original 30 September deadline until 12 November.

The five prequalified consortiums bidding on the project are currently in talks with banks to finance their bids.

The first of the five is the Anite consortium of Italy’s Autostrade Per l’Italia, Dubai-based Al-Naboodah Construction Group, Impregilo, Todini Costruzioni Generali, both Italian, and the Emirates Utilities Company Holding.

The second consortium is led by France’s Bouygues Travaux Publics, China Harbour Engineering Company, and Athens-based Consolidated Construction Company.

The third consortium, called the CCCC-MTD consortium, is made up of China Communications Construction Company and MTD Capital.

The fourth consortium, Irtibaat, is led by Australia’s Macquarie Capital Group and includes Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, the local Al-Jaber Transport & General Contracting, Belgium’s Besix, UK-based Mouchel, and Australia’s Transfield Services International.

The Mafraq Motorway Group is the fifth prequalified consortium consisting of Austria’s Strabag, UK-based Joannou & Paraskevaides (Overseas), Greece’s J&P Avax, the local Saif Bin Darwish, and France’s Egis Projects.