Fresh schedule to start construction yet to be set
Munima Sultana | Saturday, 26 March 2011
Munima Sultana
The authority is yet to set fresh schedule to start construction of the country's biggest and most cost-intensive Padma Bridge having failed to complete the procedure of selecting companies to carry out the project's works. Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), the executing agency of the US$ 2.9 billion project, has shortlisted some foreign companies for three main categories of works. But the bids for the project works could not be invited as the development partners are yet to clear the BBA selections. Officials said the bridge designed to have road on the top and rail below is to be constructed in five parts. Of these, the main part of the bridge and the river training work are the most important and biggest segments the prequalification (PQ) evaluations of which were done in December and January last by the BBA. The officials said out of the two approach roads, BBA has completed shortlisting evaluation of the companies for Jajira part approach road but it is yet to receive the clearance from its financier Islamic Development Bank (IDB). The shortlisting process for Mawa side approach road has just started. "We completed evaluation of the firms for the main bridge construction, river training work and Jajira part approach road construction two to three months before. We are now waiting for the clearance from lending agencies," said an official. The World Bank, which is the coordinating agency for the multi-donor project with the commitment of $ 2.4 billion, has hinted at releasing the main bridge part evaluation soon. "We hope to get all those soon and will start the tender process forthwith," another official said preferring anonymity. Apart from selecting companies for construction works, the authority has also not been able to finalise the selection of the project's two major consultants which are to supervise the entire construction work and management side. The officials said the World Bank has recently given clearance for the technical evaluation report of the BBA qualifying five international companies from the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada to compete for working as Construction Supervision Consultant (CSC). The BBA invited the request for proposal for CSC almost a year ago but received the clearance last week. The financial proposals of the shortlisted companies for CSC - HPR and Associates (UK), SNC-Lavalin (Canada), AECOM and Associates (New Zealand), Halcrow (UK) and Associates and Oriental Japan and Associations will be opened on March 28 (Monday). The officials said the BBA will take one month to evaluate the financial proposal for finalising the CSC. The construction of the 6.15-kilometre Padma Bridge has already been behind the schedule as the communications ministry first declared to start it by September 2010. It was then rescheduled for January, 2011 failing to get release of PQ tender documents from the financiers in time. The WB took three more months to release the PQ document in April 2010 but it also cancelled the first BBA selection of companies in September on the ground of change in bridge design.
The authority is yet to set fresh schedule to start construction of the country's biggest and most cost-intensive Padma Bridge having failed to complete the procedure of selecting companies to carry out the project's works. Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), the executing agency of the US$ 2.9 billion project, has shortlisted some foreign companies for three main categories of works. But the bids for the project works could not be invited as the development partners are yet to clear the BBA selections. Officials said the bridge designed to have road on the top and rail below is to be constructed in five parts. Of these, the main part of the bridge and the river training work are the most important and biggest segments the prequalification (PQ) evaluations of which were done in December and January last by the BBA. The officials said out of the two approach roads, BBA has completed shortlisting evaluation of the companies for Jajira part approach road but it is yet to receive the clearance from its financier Islamic Development Bank (IDB). The shortlisting process for Mawa side approach road has just started. "We completed evaluation of the firms for the main bridge construction, river training work and Jajira part approach road construction two to three months before. We are now waiting for the clearance from lending agencies," said an official. The World Bank, which is the coordinating agency for the multi-donor project with the commitment of $ 2.4 billion, has hinted at releasing the main bridge part evaluation soon. "We hope to get all those soon and will start the tender process forthwith," another official said preferring anonymity. Apart from selecting companies for construction works, the authority has also not been able to finalise the selection of the project's two major consultants which are to supervise the entire construction work and management side. The officials said the World Bank has recently given clearance for the technical evaluation report of the BBA qualifying five international companies from the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada to compete for working as Construction Supervision Consultant (CSC). The BBA invited the request for proposal for CSC almost a year ago but received the clearance last week. The financial proposals of the shortlisted companies for CSC - HPR and Associates (UK), SNC-Lavalin (Canada), AECOM and Associates (New Zealand), Halcrow (UK) and Associates and Oriental Japan and Associations will be opened on March 28 (Monday). The officials said the BBA will take one month to evaluate the financial proposal for finalising the CSC. The construction of the 6.15-kilometre Padma Bridge has already been behind the schedule as the communications ministry first declared to start it by September 2010. It was then rescheduled for January, 2011 failing to get release of PQ tender documents from the financiers in time. The WB took three more months to release the PQ document in April 2010 but it also cancelled the first BBA selection of companies in September on the ground of change in bridge design.