Six foreign contractors bid for Padang airport

Six foreign contractors bid for Padang airport

JAKARTA (JP): The government will announce in December the
winning developers of the Ketaping International Airport project
in Padang, West Sumatra, an official said yesterday.

The head of the Ministry of Transportation's Padang office,
Martunus Said, said the tender for the airport project opened in
Jakarta yesterday.

He said six offshore firms were likely to enter their bids for
the projects. They include three firms from Japan, and one each
from South Korea, Italy and France.

"We hope to finish the process by December so construction can
start soon," Martunus was reported by Antara as saying.

He said the airport project would cost about US$210 million.

He reiterated that Ketaping International Airport was not
among projects delayed due to the prolonged currency turmoil in
Indonesia.

Ketaping is about 25 kilometers west of Padang. The new
airport, to replace the aging Tabing Airport, will have a 3,000-
meter runway.

A group of tender participants and the Director General of Air
Transportation Zainuddin Sikado were scheduled to inspect the
site project on Nov. 4, Martunus said.

But if Tabing Airport is closed on Nov. 4 due to the haze, the
group will take land transportation and arrive in Padang by Nov.
18. (icn)