Calax bidders get 3 more months to prepare offers

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has given prequalified bidders three more months to prepare their bids for the P35.4 billion Cavite - Laguna Expressway (Calax) project.

DPWH Undersecretary Rafael Yabut said they are extending the deadline for the submission of bid proposals for the Public Private Partnership (PPP) project to April 21 instead of Jan. 20.

 â€œIn response to the request of several pre-qualified bidders for more time to conduct technical, financial, and legal due diligence, the bid proposals submission date is moved from Jan. 20, 2014 to April 21, 2014,” Yabut said.

Yabut chairs the agency’s special bids and awards committee (BAC) for PPP projects.

The committee has prequalified all the four bidders for the 47-kilometer closed-system tolled expressway that would connect the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and the Manila-Cavite Tollroad expressway (Cavitex).

Last Nov. 4, the DPWH prequalified three groups including the Ayala-led Team “Orion,” MPCALA Holdings Inc. of infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp., and Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc. of diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp.

Team Orion, backed by Ayala Corp. and composed of the consortium of AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp, Aboitiz Land Inc., Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd. together with nominated contractors Obsrascon Huarte Lain SA, Bouygues Traveux Publics, and Cavite Ideal International Construction Development Corp. Maintenance contractors include Egis Road Expressway Corp., Korea Expressway Corp. and OHL Concesiones SL.

MPCALA Holdings and project civil works contractor Leighton Contractors (Asia) Ltd. qualified to bid for the project. However, nominated contractors DM Consunji Inc. and EEI Corp. failed to qualify for failing to meet the construction experience requirements for expressway, viaduct, flyover or bridge of at least P10 billion in total value.

MPCALA Holdings’ affiliate Tollways Management Corp. also fulfilled the operation and maintenance experience requirement for the project while MPIC would take care of the financing.

SMC’s Optimal Infrastructure together with construction contractor Hyundai Development Co. as well as operation and maintenance contractor Skyway O&M Corp. have qualified to bid for the project. Civil work contractor GS Engineering & Construction did not meet the ISO certification requirement.

On the other hand, the agency also prequalified Malaysia’s Alloy MTD Philippines after submitting documents for the construction experience requirement and qualifications and experience required for their design.

The four-lane expressway starting from Kawit, Cavite and ends at the SLEX-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna would have a concession period of 35 years, including design and construction of four years .