Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company (ADSSC) has extended the tender closing date to 7 December for the estimated AED2bn ($572m) contract to build a pumping station on its Strategic Tunnels Enhancement Programme (Step).

ADSSC has given the one week extension because of the upcoming Eid holidays at the end of November and UAE National Day on 2 December.

The prequalifiers include Bouygues, Vinci Construction Grand Projets, both of France, the local Lindenberg-Emirates, Brazil’s Odebrecht, and the local/Australian Al-Habtoor Leighton Group (MEED 13:11:09).

ADSSC has already awarded one construction contract for the Step scheme, and has selected preferred bidders for two further contracts. The Step scheme will take sewage from Abu Dhabi Island to treatment plants at Al-Wathba (MEED 13:9:09).

Italy’s Impregilo was awarded the AED891m contract to build the middle section of the 40-kilometre-long tunnel in the first week of September.

ADSSC has also picked Impregilo as the preferred bidder for a second package estimated at AED785m, which involves the construction of a 15.6km, 5-metre-diameter tunnel between Mafraq and Al-Wathba.

South Korea’s Samsung Corporation is the preferred bidder for the third package, estimated to be worth AED1.1bn, to dig the 16.1km, 4-metre-diameter tunnel from Abu Dhabi Island to the Mussafah area.

US-based CH2M Hill is the programme manager for the entire scheme.