KUWAIT CITY, Aug 3: MEED magazine said that the Ministry of Public Works is preparing to award tenders for the huge road maintenance program by mid-August, as the project implementation period is three years, reports Al-Qabas daily. The project includes road maintenance, bridge maintenance, and storm water improvement works in various parts of the country, including the capital, Hawalli, Farwaniya, Jahra, and Mubarak Al-Kabeer.

The cost of the project is expected to range between 220 million dinars and 240 million dinars ($726 million-$792 million), while the scheme is open to international contractors and includes a total of 10 bids that require road maintenance work.

The bid was open exclusively to international companies: 6 from Turkey, 6 from India, 5 from Japan, 4 from China, 3 from France, 3 from South Korea, and one each from America, Germany and Hungary. These companies include: Shimizu Corporation (Japan), Nippo (Japan), Kaihatsu Kogyo (Japan), Itochu (Japan), Toa Corporation (Japan), Daewoo Engineering & Construction (South Korea), Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea) and Korea Expressway Corporation (South Korea), Sinohydro Co., Ltd. (China), China First Highway Engineering (China), China State Construction Engineering (China), China Jizoba Group Co., Ltd. (China), Eiffage Construction (France), Colas (France), Eurovia ( France), Dogus Construction and Trade (Turkey), Eser Contracting and Industry (Turkey), Limak Construction (Turkey), Onur Contracting, Transportation, Construction, Trade and Industry (Turkey), Tekfen Construction and Installation (Turkey), GAP Construction Investment and Trade (Turkey), Strabag International (Germany), S&S Paving & Construction (USA), Mega Engineering & Infrastructure (India), Gawar Construction (India), Raj (India), Apco Infratech Private (India), Infrastructure & Developers Lakshmi (India), Laresen & Toubro (India) and Duna Group-Dunaaszfalt ZRT (Hungary).