Ministry sets June deadline for Subiya

05 January 2010

Public Works Ministry invites eight prequalified contracting groups to price link across Kuwait Bay

Kuwait’s Public Works Ministry is inviting contractors to bid by 8 June for a deal to design and build the long-delayed KD1bn ($3.7bn) Subiya causeway.

The ministry is inviting prices from the eight groups that it originally prequalified for the project when it was first launched in 2006.

They were asked to reconfirm their interest in the scheme in November 2008.

Known as the Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmed al-Sabah bridge, the project has been repeatedly delayed by design changes to allow large vessels to pass under it and to avoid environmental damage.

The ministry will award the contract on a design-and-build basis, using a preliminary design prepared by Danish consultant Cowi. It will be 37.5 kilometres long and incorporate a bridge spanning 150-200 metres.

The causeway will cross Kuwait Bay, linking Kuwait City with the Subiya promontory and Bubiyan island, where major city and port projects are proposed. Kuwait is using a contracting strategy similar to that used for the Qatar-Bahrain Causeway project. That was awarded to contractors on a design-and-build basis in May 2008 after Cowi had prepared the outline design for the client.

The proposals for Subiya and Bubiyan include the $77bn City of Silk project at Subiya and a $6bn 530-square-kilometre development including a new port on Bubiyan island.

The Public Works Ministry is currently tendering the marine works for the port. The closing date is 24 January and it involves designing and building a container terminal, four berths and a 1,300-metre-long quay, plus port buildings and utilities (MEED 23:12:09).

The ministry also plans to tender a contract for dredging work at the port in coming months.

The two tenders are part of a government initiative to accelerate work on the project after three years of slow progress. When the plan was first mooted, the ministry had planned to open the port in 2010.

Lead bid groups

  • Bilfinger & Berger with Taisei Corporation
  • China Harbour Engineering Company with Alghanim International Trading & Contracting Company
  • Bouygues with Orascom Construction Industries
  • Gulf Dredging & Contracting Company
  • Hochtief with Kajima Corporation
  • Consolidated Contractors International Company
  • Ballast Nedham Dredging, Denmark’s E Pihl & Soen and Ahmadiah Contracting & Trading Company
  • Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company with the Combined Group
  • MT Hojgaard with Aktor
  • Archirodon Construction (Overseas)
  • Gamuda, Burhan International Contracting Company and Copri Construction Enterprises
  • Obayashi Corporation with Daelim Industrial Company, Mitsubishi Corporation, Toa Corporation, Yapi Merkezi and Kiska
  • Saudi Binladin Group with Guangdong Construction Engineering Group Corporation
  • Vinci with the local Mohamed Abdulmohsin Kharafi & Sons

Source: MEED

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