The first tender of the Klang Valley mass rapid transit (MRT) project, which is for the elevated guideway package, will open next month.
The contract is expected to be awarded in November this year.
Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (Prasarana) group director of project development Zulkifli Yusoff said works on the first package of elevated track, which is between Maluri and Plaza Phoenix, will start by November or early December.
He said from then on, tenders will be called every month until end of next year.
The underground track tender will be called sometime in December.
"Upon approval of the railway scheme in June, we will hold a ground-breaking ceremony in July. We hope to complete the overall project by December 2016 and the transit line will be opened for public by January 2017," Zulkifli said at a media conference yesterday.
Zulkifli said Prasarana will only invite local contractors to bid for packages where there is local expertise such as elevated track.
Other contracts such as the underground tunnel and MRT system, where there is no local capability, will be opened to international contractors.
However, foreign companies must form joint ventures with the locals.
The project is estimated at over RM36 billion, but Zulkifli said the overall cost can only be made when the final railway scheme is approved sometime next month.
On whether the cost will increase if there are changes to the MRT alignment or more stations and underground track, he said the underground track will cost five times more than the elevated track.
He said out of 6,000 responses received from the public, 5,000 are supportive of the project. Three main suggestions by the public centred on the MRT alignment, locations of the stations and feeder buses.
He said a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed under the Ministry of Finance, will be responsible in getting the fund.
The SPV will then disburse the fund to Prasarana. – Business Times
