TURKEY: General Directorate of Railway, Port and Airport Construction shortlisted three consortia in December for consultancy and engineering services on the Marmaray cross-Bosporus rail link in Istanbul. The three were to be vetted by the Japanese Bank for International Co-operation, before the final tenders were issued in January.
The three groups are: Pacific Consultancy of Japan with Parsons Brinckerhoff and Yüksel Proje; Nippon Koei, Mott MacDonald, Louis Berger, Su Yapi Mühendislik, Nippon Civic and Sverdrup; and Prokon Mühendislik, Chiyoda, Akün, DE-Consult, Bung, TEC and Setec.
The consultancy contract is due to be awarded before March 31, with the aim of starting work early in 2001. The 78 km corridor includes upgraded suburban lines linked by a 13·3 km tunnel under the city with a 1·8 km immersed tube below the Bosporus.
Meanwhile, Istanbul Municipality has postponed until February 15 the bidding deadline for survey for the metro extension from Yenikapi to Bagcilar.