ANKARA - The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) approved the tender specifications of Istanbul Strait Rail Tube Crossing Project and Gebze-Haydarpasa, Sirkeci-Halkali Suburban Railway Project known as ''Marmaray''.
The JBIC approved the tender specification and sent it back to the Transportation Ministry.
Four consortia will submit bids for the tender on October 3, 2003.
The bids will be taken into consideration and one of the consortia will be awarded with the tender.
According to the program, the construction is foreseen to start in the first months of the following year the latest.
Below are the consortia which have submitted bids for the tender to build the rail tube crossing with almost 1.5 billion U.S. dollars of loan:
1- Kumagai Gumi Cop. (tube tunnel crossing technology), Taisei Corp (construction), Gama Endustri (construction), Nurol Insaat (construction),
2- Obayashi Corp. (tube tunnel crossing technology), Yapi Merkezi (construction), Kiska Insaat (construction), Metis Insaat (construction),
3- Kajima Corp. (tube tunnel crossing technology), Nishimatsu CVons (construction), Mitsubishi Heavy Int. (construction), Enka Insaat (construction), Dogus Insaat (construction),
4- Hazama Corp. (tube tunnel crossing technology), Penta Oceon (construction), Yuksel Insaat (construction), Guris Insaat (construction).
Around 70 thousand passengers per hour will be carried with this system which will link Asia and Europe by an underwater tunnel.
Current suburban lines are foreseen to be rehabilitated within the scope of ''Marmaray'' system of 70.5 kilometers in length between Gebze and Halkali, and many underground tunnels and stations are envisaged to be built.
The system is foreseen to become operational in 2007.
(BRC-AÖ) 12.06.2003