Metro Jeddah Company has extended the tender closing date to 10 September for the contract to build the estimated $1bn Obhur creek crossing scheme.

The previous closing date was 26 July. Contractors submitted prequalification for the main design and build contract for the bridge project earlier this year and it is understood that at least eight groups have prequalified.

The crossing will be 380 metres long and 74.5 metres wide. It will have eight lanes for road traffic, a single railway line and two pedestrian walkways. The preliminary design was prepared by US-based consultant Figg. Aecom has provided programme management services on the project.

The Obhur Bridge scheme is part of Metro Jeddah Company’s $12bn Jeddah Public Transport Programme (JPTP). Is has invited companies to express interest by 3 September in the design-and-build civil works for the metro component of the $12bn Jeddah Public Transport Programme (JPTP).

The metro network will feature four lines, with a total of 113 kilometres of elevated double track, 44km of tunnel, 85 stations and five depots.

The metro project civil works details include:

• Red line: 24 stations, 15km tunnel, 45km elevated double track
• Blue line: 19 stations, 7km tunnel, 27km elevated double track
• Green line: 12 stations, 14km tunnel, 4km elevated double track
• Orange line: 30 stations, 8km tunnel, 37km elevated double track

The criteria for selecting the contractors are similar to the ones set for the LRT and tram project. They include technical capability, financial strength and experience of working in Jeddah and Saudi Arabia.

The required technical expertise is more complex. It entails experience in the design-and-build of urban tunnelling structures utilising tunnel boring machines (TBM) as well as in custom-fit TBM solutions, and experience in pre-cast segment fabrication. The contractors should have also led three projects involving the design-and-build of urban underground structures as well as experience in railway system integration works, in addition to proven safety records.

The contractors should also present proof of their financial standing by submitting audited financial statements in the past three years, with the turnover broken down according to each design-and-build segment, such as the tunnels and the stations, and according to the geographic source of revenue, which could be domestic or overseas.

The client also requires a civil and building work turnover of at least SR10bn ($2.6bn) for each of the past three years.

Metro Jeddah Company has also invited contractors to prequalify for the civil works, systems and procurement of rolling stock for its planned tramway and light rail transit (LRT) systems.

Work is for the entire construction package, including civil works, track works, power, railway systems, rolling stock, fit-outs, stations, depots and all ancillary works required for a fully functional LRT and tramway network.

Contractors intending to prequalify are required to submit their expressions of interest (EOIs) and signed Anti-Corruption and Confidentiality Undertaking (ACCU) to the Metro Jeddah office on 31 August. This will be followed by the submission of the prequalification questionnaire once interested contractors receive a confirmation response from the client. The closing date for the submission of the prequalification document is 17 September.

The LRT and tramway systems aim to provide public transportation along the Sari, Tahlia and Palestine streets as well as the Jeddah Corniche. The LRT scheme will feature 29 kilometres of at-grade and 9km of elevated double track featuring 43 stations with three depots for about 65 trains. According to the current plan, the LRT route begins on the south of Jeddah near the Global Roundabout along the Corniche and will end near Tahlia Street.

The tramway will cover the Jeddah Corniche and will comprise 16km of at-grade double track with 15 stations and a single depot for about 11 trains.

Prequalification criteria include technical capability, financial strength and experience of working in Jeddah and in Saudi Arabia.

Consortiums comprising international and local contractors along with systems and rolling stock manufacturers are expected to be formed to respond to the EOI and cover all the prequalification criteria set out by the client.

Earlier this year, the UK’s Foster+Partners was awarded an $80m contract to establish a city-wide transportation planning contract for Jeddah that integrates different modes of transportation, including metro, ferry and bus. Metro Jeddah Company has also begun prequalifiying project management consultants for the transport masterplan in June.