Local elections in March could hold up the tendering for the first stage of the $250 million Adana metro project, although eight ventures have lined up to bid for the work. The municipality also has not secured approval from the treasury for the external credits needed for the financing.

A closing date of 25 January originally set in the tender invitation will probably be extended to April, according to industry sources. The eight ventures that lined up to tender for the turnkey design and construction contract are (all local unless otherwise stated): Otak; Alsim Alarko; Yapi Merkezi; Yuksel with Bayindir; Sezai Turkes-Feyzi Akkaya with Germany's AEG; local Simko with Germany's Siemens; and France's Societe Auxiliare d'Entreprises. The 13.5-kilometre first stage of the 20-kilometre project will run between 100 Yil and Yuregir, and will include about 13 stations. The scheme, called a light rail mass transit system, is one of several metro and urban transit projects being tendered for or under construction (Construction, MEED Special Report, 5:3:93).