The first round of the public tender is nearing its conclusion.
Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure announced that it is conducting review and assessment of bids submitted in the first round of the tender for the construction of the Pelješac Bridge. The second stage is expected to start at the end of January next year.
The Ministry refused to provide details about the bidders who have applied to the pre-qualification tender, but media reports claim that the Croatian Roads public company had received 12 bids. The construction of the Pelješac Bridge, together with access roads, is expected to cost around 1.76 billion kuna.
“We are currently undertaking review and assessment of the submitted bids, which will be followed by possible clarifications. The expected deadline for making a decision on the inadmissibility of those bidders who will not have demonstrated the required capabilities, as well as for sending an invitation to admissible bidders to send their final offers, is 31 January 2017. It is important to note that the rejected bidders will have the right to an appeal”, announced the Ministry. After that, the second round of the tender procedure will commence.
In the meantime, the media reported that the Croatian Roads public company had received 12 bids in the first round of the tender. In the first round, bidders just have to prove that they are capable of carrying out such an extensive and demanding project. The first round was opened on 12 June. Prospective bidders who pass the first pre-qualification threshold will be invited to the second round.
Although the media did not specify the names of potential bidders who want to construct the Pelješac Bridge, they reported that among them are well-known companies from France, Spain, Italy, China and South Korea.
The conditions for the first round demand that the companies had revenues in the last three years in the amount of at least 1.7 billion kuna, which is the value of the whole project. Applicants must meet another important condition – that they have so far carried out a project similar to the Pelješac Bridge. The most important criterion for choosing the final winner will be the lowest price.
The Pelješac Bridge is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Croatia. It will connect the southern part of Croatia with the rest of the country by linking the mainland and the Pelješac Peninsula, bypassing Bosnia and Herzegovina. At that location, Croatia is divided into two non-contiguous parts, so now people travelling from one part of Croatia to another need to pass through Bosnia and Herzegovina or use a ferry.
