By rosebell
As part of a two-day gathering, the clarification meetings and site inspections at the tunnel areas was done by four contractor groups competing to construct the Stad Ship Tunnel, whereas the site inspection included plenary presentations and one-on-one meetings with the four contractor groups.
The four bidders were announced by Norwegian Coastal Administration (Kystverket) in previous month:
Joint venture: Skanska Norge AS and Vassbakk og Stol AS (Norway)
AF Gruppen Norge AS (Norway)
Eiffage Génie Civil (France)
Joint venture: Acciona Construcción SA and Bertelsen & Garpestad AS (Spain/Norway)
According to NCA project manager Harald Inge Johnsen: “The site inspection was to familiarise the contractors with the construction areas.It’s beneficial to have seen the landscape and future tunnel and industrial areas when planning the contract and submitting bids for the project.”
Additionally, several bidders conducted additional inspections to study the tunnel entrance areas more closely.
“We had the opportunity to present important aspects and possible changes in the tender documents, while the contractors could ask questions and receive clarifications. I believe it was a useful gathering for all parties,” said Johnsen.
While this gathering was the first round of clarification meetings between the NCA and the contractors, yhree further meetings are planned.
The determined date for submitting initial bids is June 3 and the bids are due to be evaluated and negotiated, possibly in multiple rounds, before selecting the best offer based on the award criteria.
Being signed in autumn this year, the contract’s construction phase will commence next year. The NCA estimates the construction period to be almost five years.
With the aim of improving the navigability and safety of maritime transport around Stad, probably the most weather-exposed and dangerous stretch of sea along the Norwegian coast, the Stad Ship Tunnel will be constructed at the narrowest point of the Stad Peninsula, between the Moldefjord and Kjødepollen, in the Vanylvsfjord. It will be 1.7km long (2.2km including entrance areas), 50m high, and 36m wide.
