Kuwait’s Public Works Ministry is expected to award the contract to build the Subiya causeway to the consortium of South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company and the local Combined Group by the end of February.

The group submited the lowest bid of KD735m ($2.6bn) in October 2010. The award is expected to coincide with Kuwait’s National Day celebrations on 25 February (MEED 13:10:10).

A consortium led by Saudi Binladin Group submitted the second-lowest bid with a price of KD805m. This was followed by a bid of KD807m by the only other bidder, a consortium led by the UAE/Australian Al-Habtoor Leighton Group.

Denmark’s Cowi has prepared a preliminary design for the project.

Subiya causeway, which is also known as the Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah causeway, will be 37.5 kilometres long, with a bridge section spanning 150-200 metres. It will cross Kuawit Bay, linking Kuwait City with the Subiya promontory and Bubiyan Island.

The causeway is part of the government’s plan to spend $10.8bn on infrastructure development by 2013.

In July 2010, a consortium led by Hyundai won the $1.1bn contract to carry out marine engineering works on a planned port for Bubiyan Island. Local Mohammed Abdulmohsin al-Kharafi & Sons is also part of the consortium.