Two construction groups returned bids at the end of November to Turkey’s Highway Administration for either a tunnel or a bridge in the country’s earthquake-prone northwest.The highway scheme would be a build-operate-transfer franchise.
Dincer Yigit, head of the highways administration, said Bouygues of France in joint venture with Turkey’s Vinsan submitted two offers with prices ranging between $620M to $1.4bn. The second group, formed by Italy’s Impregilo, Campenon Bernard and Transroute International both from France, Bilfinger+Berger of Germany, Spain’s Dragados y Construcciones and two Turkish contractors, Dogus and Tekfen, offered a bid of $1.4bn. Yigit said the choice between a tunnel or suspension bridge will be based "according to the lowest price and the shortest period that the consortia can transfer the highway back". The structures will cross Izmit Bay and the scheme also includes 40km of highway.
