Ten ventures had submitted prequalification applications to the State Highways Directorate (KGM) by the extended closing date of 18 August for the construction of the $700 million Izmit bay crossing. The project will be constructed on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.

Among the ventures of local companies with foreign partners are the following:

Enka with the UK's Trafalgar House, Marubeni Corporation and Itochu Corporation (both of Japan)

Tekfen with Italy's Impregilio, Germany's Bilfinger & Berger, Spain's Dragados and France's Campenon Bernard

Entes and Yapit Uretim with Italy's Astaldi

Baytur with Italy's GEPCO and Salc

Dogus and Sezai Turkes-Feyzi Akkaya (ST-FA) with France's Spie Batignolles, Italy's Salini, Spain's Cubiertas and Germany's Dyckerhoff & Widmann.

The crossing will start from Dilovasi on the northern shore of Izmit bay, and end at Orhangazi near Bursa. Included in its total length of about 50 kilometres of dual, three-lane motorway will be a bridge or combination of bridges with a total length of about 3.5 kilometres across the bay, and approach viaducts on either side.

Officials are unclear how long evaluation of the applications will take or when tenders will be invited and a contract awarded. However, in the light of the current austerity programme, the government is focusing on BOT projects. As private-sector franchises they ostensibly do not place a direct funding burden on the exchequer.