Three consortia have been invited by the State Highways Directorate (KGM) to retender for the construction of the $1000 million Izmit bay crossing, according to contracting sources The closing date for the build-operate-transfer (BOT) project is 4 December.

Only one bid was received from six shorlisted consortia in December, because of uncertainties about both political developments and the BOT method itself (MEED 31:5:96).

The three consortia of foreign and local companies according to contracting sources are:

J Anglo-Japanese-Turkish consortium - Enka with the UK's Trafalgar House and Marubeni Corporation, Itochu Corporation. Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries and NKK Corporation, all of Japan IRKO consortium - Tekfen with Italy's Impregio, Germany's Biltinger & Berger, Spain's Dragados & Construcciones, and Campenon Bernard and Transroute International, both of France J Bouygues Vinsan - France Bouygues with Vinsan (the only consortium to return a bid previously).

The Izmit crossing includes a bridge or combination of bridges across the bay of Izmit itself, with a total length of about 3 5 kilometres, and a motorway with a total length of about 50 kilometres between Dilovasi on the northern shore of the bay to Orhangazi near Bursa. Consultants to the KGM are Canada's Delcan with the local DAP.

The KGM is also pushing the new government for a revival of a BOT project for the construction of a $350 million bridge basis across the strait of Cannakale (MEED 24:3:95). Consultants to the KGM are the UK's Brown Beech & Associates with the local Botek.

The KGM also hopes to go ahead by the end of 1996 with tender invitations to international and local contractors on a credit basis for the construction of two large motorway sections These are GaziantepSanli-Urfa, a distance of about 98 kilometres, and valued at about $450 million500 million; and Ankara-Acikuyu, a distance of 131.5 kilometres, valued at about $600 million