Kuwait’s Public Works Ministry has received bids from 10 joint ventures for the development and upgrade of its existing 7^th ring road.

The 21.8-kilometre project features access roads and seven interchanges, as well as intelligent traffic control systems, traffic signs and markings and related utility networks.

A joint venture between China’s Synohydro and local contractor Copri Construction Projects placed the lowest offer, valued at $221m.

The nine other bidders and their financial offer include:

• China Railway 18^th Bureau Ggroup (China) / Mohammed Abdulmohsin al-Kharafi and Sons (local): $226m
• Afcons Infrastructure (India) / Joint Scientific Group General Contracting (local): $228
• Sezai Turkes Feyzi (STFA A Akkaya Insaat) (Turkey) / Canar Trading and Contracting (local): $243m
• China Railway International (China) / Abu Shaiba General Trading and Contracting (local): $260m
• China First Highway Engineering (China) / Combined Group Contracting (local): $262m
• Consolidated Contractors Group (CCC) (Lebanon) / Consolidated Contractors Company (local subsidiary): $269m
• Cengiz Insaat (Turkey) / First Kuwait General Trading (local): $271m
• Arab Contractors Osman Ahmed Osman Company (Egypt) / Arab Kuwait Contractors (local): $278m
• China State Construction Engineering Corporation (China) / Al-Roumi Trading & Contracting (local): $304m

Tendered in April, the 7^th ring road project is in line with the ministry’s plan to develop the regional roads in the south of Kuwait to facilitate the growth of trade within the GCC states.