Kuwait’s Central Tenders Committee (CTC) has approved the award of two contracts worth a total of KD51m ($185m) to the local First Kuwait Trading & Contracting Company for building service tunnels for Kuwait University at its Sabah al-Salem campus.

CTC approval is the final step before a formal contract award is made.

First Kuwait Trading & Contracting Company submitted the low bid for both of the contracts. For the eastern service tunnel project, its bid of KD26m was 1.5 per cent lower than the KD26.4m price submitted by the second lowest bidder, the local Al-Ahmadiah Contracting & Trading Company.

For the western service tunnel project, First Kuwait’s low bid of KD24.9m was 2.7 per cent lower than the KD25.6m price submitted by Al-Ahmadiah, again the second lowest bidder.

One contract involves building a service tunnel at the east side of the campus and the other is for the construction of a tunnel at the west side.

The scope of works for each project will involve the construction of the main tunnel and branch tunnels, escape stairs and ramps, tunnel connections to the bottom of the faculty buildings and all other associated building work.

The winning contractor will also provide all of the required metal works, earthworks and sewage infrastructure.

The project is one of several that are currently being tendered for the new $3bn Sabah al-Salem campus, which will be located at Shadadiyah, 20 kilometres west of Kuwait City.

On 26 June, the university received bids for the contract to build the College of Science and Faculty Club.

The development will comprise three primary elements – a men’s campus, a women’s campus and a faculty club. The separate male and female campuses will each involve about six structures linked by bridges. The faculty club will be a single building located between the male and female sections, which will also be connected by bridges.

The winning contractor will be in charge of building the main buildings and a vehicular tunnel. The scope of works includes landscaping and the provision of irrigation systems (MEED 12:6:11).