New (4th) Bridge Over the Panama Canal

[Bud]

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New canal crossing will be toll bridge

Posted on September 7, 2016 in Panama

Ramon Arosemena

Post Views: 93

THERE WILL BE no free crossing of the new fourth bridge over the Panama Canal with plans already in place to have motorists help pay for the $1 billion project

Minister of Public Works Ramón Arosemena said Wednesday, September 7  that a toll will be charged to cross the bridge.

“It is official, and the National Highway Company (ENA) is the only authorized entity by law allowed to collect tolls,” he said.

He made the  statement while presenting the ministry’s 2017 budget to the National Assembly.

He said  that the administration and construction of the fourth bridge will be handled by the ministry, but eventually the ENA will be in charge of the structure.

The bridge project will cost an estimated $1 billion and will  also include tracks for the extension of the Panama Metro.

There are also plans to expand the highway to Arraiján to eight lanes to improve traffic flow.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/new-canal-crossing-will-toll-bridge

[Keith Woolford]

Delaying 100 projects in order to scrape together the down payment for a single bridge must make sense to someone, but it sure doesn't seem logical to me.

Edited November 28, 2016 by Keith Woolford

[Bonnie]

The money for the "Panamonte Bridge" probably is among that being transferred.

[Moderator_02]

 

http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Obras-Americas-causan-molestia-usuarios_21_4636996256.html

[Moderator_02]

http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Inician-reuniones-empresas-preclasificadas-construir_21_4642245736.html

[Keith Woolford]

The bids are in.

The design includes a mirador and restaurant.

Firms from Spain, Italy and China are competing for the project.

https://twitter.com/MOPdePanama/status/915626450698620933

https://twitter.com/MOPdePanama/status/915672690287050753

 

https://twitter.com/tvnpanama/status/915686488809107456

[Moderator_02]

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Canal bridge contract snail’s progress

Posted on February 14, 2018 in Panama, Panama

Post Views: 219

 

Proposals for the award of the fourth Panama bridge are 10 months behind in spite of an October 2017 promise by    Juan Carlos Varela said that the order to proceed would be delivered in January this year and construction would start, in March.

A new future for Arriajan dwellers

On October 4, four groups applied to get the billion dollar contract. The type of bid selected by the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) is for the best valuewith separate evaluation, which hides the reference price.

It is the same corruption tainted  scheme used by the last administration to contract line 1 of the Metro,

the third phase of the coastal belt and the majority of major road projects, awarded in many cases to Odebrecht and that, subsequently, have been audited and investigated to supposedly,  end acts of corruption reports La Prensa.

Despite the questions and legal proposals to change the model of contracting, the current Government used it for the second line of the Metro, also awarded to the Odebrecht-FCC consortium.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/canal-bridge-contract-snails-progress

[Moderator_02]

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The Fourth Bridge over the Panama Canal is Delayed

A year and a half after having published the tender for its design and construction, the company that will be responsible for designing and building the bridge has not yet been selected.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

According to the tender specifications, the initial date to deliver bids was April 25, 2016, but the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) repeatedly decided to postpone the act to receive proposals to build the fourth bridge, which it is planned to be built within a period of 42 months, with an estimated investment of $1 billion.

See "Tender for Fourth Bridge over the Canal Postponed" and "New Date for Tender of Fourth Bridge Over the Canal"

After so many changes, finally in October of last year four consortiums made up of companies from China, Spain, Italy and South Korea presented themselves to participate in the tender. However, four months after receiving the proposals, the MOP has not yet released the results of the evaluation. 

See tender and details of the work (in Spanish)

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https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/The_Fourth_Bridge_over_the_Panama_Canal_is_Delayed

[Moderator_02]

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New bridge start date up in the air

Posted on May 28, 2018 in Panama

Post Views: 245

 

SEVEN MONTHS after President Varela announced that work on Panama’s fourth bridge across the canal would begin no start is in sight and money budgeted for the $1 billion plus project is leaking into other are areas.

La Estrella reports that  the construction of the mega project promoted by the government of President Juan Carlos Varela, is no longer within the budget priorities, at least for the first half of the year.

Because of  the delay in the award of the contract , the Executive has decided to transfer to other departments, several million-dollar items of the general State budget for the 2018 fiscal period originally intended for the bridge.

President Varela said on October 4, 2017 that the order to proceed with the project would be delivered in January of this year and three months later construction would start, but, seven months after the proposal was delivered, nothing has started

Four companies presented proposals: the Panama Fourth Bridge Consortium (China Communications Construction Company LTD and China Harbor Engineering Company LTD); Dragados Sucursal Panamá, S.A. (Spain); Astaldi Consortium – Daelim, conformed by Astaldi S.P.A. (Italy) and Daelim Industrial Co., LTD (Korea); and the Cuatro PuenteConscec – Crec Consortium, formed by China State Construction Engineering Corporation. and China Railway Group Limited.

But after seven months  the evaluation committee is still reviewing the technical proposals of the companies, and , the $179 million budget  for staring the  new bridge could not be executed.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) has already requested the Budget Committee of the National Assembly to transfer $30 million to other projects including  roads  water, and sanitary.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/new-bridge-start-date-up-in-the-air

[Moderator_02]

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Ministry axes fourth bridge evaluation

Posted on June 16, 2018 in Panama

 

Public Works Minister Ramon Arosemana and President Varela in October 2017

Post Views: 226

 

In a surprise move, The Ministry of Public Works (MOP)  announced on Friday. June 15 the annulment of the evaluation committee’s report for the fourth bridge over the Canal and said a new committee will be named to analyze the proposals of the four groups that aspire to handle the over $1 billion design and construction contract.

The MOP without providing details accused the committee of violating the statement of conditions and the law of public procurement sparking speculation in social media.

In October last year, President Juan Carlos Varela had announced that preliminary work would begin in March.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/ministry-axes-fourth-bridge-evaluation

[Moderator_02]

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Chinese consortium wins $1.42 billion bid for Canal bridge

Posted on June 29, 2018 in Business, Panama

Post Views: 252

 

The Panama Fourth Bridge Consortium has won the tender for the design and construction of the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal.

The group made up of y China Construction Communication Company and China Harbor Engineering Company presented a proposal of $1.420 billion that helped win the tender without having obtained the highest total score in the sum of the technical evaluation and the economic proposal.

The first place was taken by the Spanish Dragados, S.A. with a total score of 79.84% and an economic proposal of $1.812 billion but the consortium withdrew from the tender after presenting the proposals.

The Company made no comments about the reasons for waiving a contract of more than $1,800.

Two other groups that competed for the contract were disqualified. The Chinese consortium

CSCEC-CREC bridge for not meeting all the technical requirements and the Astaldi-Daelim consortium. The Italian-Korean group made an offer of $1,211 which was considered risky because it was more than 20% lower than the $1.607 billion of the reference price established by the Ministry of Public Works (MOP).

The consortia will have three working days to submit claims now evaluation reports are published in the Panama purchases portal.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/chinese-consortium-wins-1-42-billion-bid-for-canal-bridge

[Moderator_02]

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OPINION: Opaque bidding process for Canal bridge

Posted on June 30, 2018 in Panama, Panama

 

Bridge will carry Metro line 3

Post Views: 168

 

The tender for the fourth bridge over the Panama  Canal was not a run of the mill affair Actually, it’s about the second most costly project of the current government.

The process of this hiring has been prolonged, cumbersome and sometimes confusing. The Minister of Public Works was not even present at the event of opening of envelopes of economic offers, an event that occurred yesterday [Friday]. It included the proposal of a company that withdrew from the tender.

There is no questioning the need for an infrastructure that would relieve the intercity traffic between the two banks of the Canal, and that includes the planned railway for the projected Metro line three and even a possible fast train to the city of David. It is, however, the lack of transparency of a recruitment so delicate that it seemed that it was going to be suspended, whose evaluation committee was dismantled and its report was unknown. What interests are there linked to the fourth bridge beyond the obvious winner of the tender?

The new bridge will strengthen the country’s logistics platform, improve the quality of life of thousands of Panamanians who must spend long hours in congested urban traffic Faced with these clear benefits where was the need to accelerate the bidding or cloud with the shadow of doubt a work so relevant? The government of Juan Carlos Varela will carry these questions on its shoulders …  LA PRENSA, June 30

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/opininion-opaque-bidding-process-for-canal-bridge

[Moderator_02]

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Fourth Canal bridge bid has weakest tech proposal

Posted on July 3, 2018 in Panama

Post Views: 171

 

An analysis of the technical report prepared by the commission evaluating the bidding of the fourth bridge over the Canal reveals that the technical proposal of the Panama Fourth Bridge consortium is the weakest of the three that were analyzed.

The report warns of a series of studies that were not incorporated. The company, for example, eliminated the direct flow of traffic between the fourth bridge and Avenida 3 de Noviembre reports La Prensa.

The commission concluded that the proposal “has a low level of detail, does not evidence and clearly identifythe critical points of the project, does not improve the conceptual design …”. In its opinion, “there is no evidence of study and investigation, considering it the same as high risk”.

The consortium, made up of the firms China Construction Communications Company and China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC), received the worst technical score of the three proposals that were analyzed, but it was the winner of the public bid.

The Ministry of Public Works said that if the contract is awarded, the group will have to adapt the project to what was indicated by the commission. The consortium has indicated that it will act in accordance with the specifications.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/business/panama-4/fourth-canal-bridge-bid-has-weakest-tech-proposal

[Moderator_02]

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Chinese to Build Bridge Over the Canal

After two proposals were disqualified and another participant withdrew, the consortium formed by two Chinese state construction companies won the tender to design and build the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal.

Monday, July 2, 2018

After Dragados Sucursal Panama, the company that had obtained the best qualification decided to withdraw from the contest, the road was paved for the consortium made up of the companies China State Construction Engineering Corporation LTD and China Railway Group Limited, to win the contest with a economic proposal of $1.42 billion and a score of 69,9%.

See details of the offers submitted.

According to the Price Report (Technical and Economic), published last Friday on the Panamacompra website, Consorcio Cuarto Puente CSCEC-CREC was disqualified from the process beforehand.

See also "Public works planned in Central America"

For its part, Consortium Astaldi - Daelim obtained a score of 46.6% in the evaluation of the technical proposal, but its economic proposal of $1.211 billion was disqualified for being "risky", because it is outside the range of acceptance in relation to the reference price. 

See information about the tender.

According to the Environmental Impact Study for the work, "... the project consists of the design and construction of a bridge that crosses the Panama Canal and its accesses and connections with the existing roads east and west of the Canal, located towards the North side of the existing Las Americas bridge. The main section of the bridge, which crosses the Canal, will be bow type made of steel with a slope of 4%."

"... The length of the bridge abutments will be 840 meters, with a center span of 540 meters in length and the approach segments will measure 150 meters each (300 m). The clearance of the bridge over the water level of the canal is 75 meters. It will have three lanes of 3.65 meters in each direction (six lanes in total) for transit vehicles, and on the south side it will cross the tracks and facilities of the Metro Line 3 for which a 16 m wide strip has been reserved."

See more details about the project here.

 

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Chinese_to_Build_Bridge_Over_the_Canal

[Moderator_02]

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Tender for bridge over the Panama Canal is suspended

Fri, 07/06/2018 - 18:11

The tender for the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal, a megaproject on which a subway line will pass, was suspended after the contract was awarded to a Chinese consortium and another of the participating groups contested the result, local press reported today.

The Italian-American consortium Astaldi-Daelin, which was disqualified from the tender for presenting an economic offer well below the reference price, filed a complaint in recent days, which implies the suspension of the tender until the dispute is resolved.

The Ministry of Public Works said Friday in a statement that "the claims constitute a legitimate exercise of all the proponents" and that "the admission does not imply a substantive decision, which occurs after evaluating the truth of the claim."

The local media reported that the Italian-American consortium accused the ministry of alleged lack of transparency, something that it rejected outright in the official statement.

"The entire process was carried out under the supervision of the General Directorate of Public Procurement (DGCP), so all complaints against the procedure are considered unfounded; however, the claim must be filed and await the final ruling of the DGCP," added the ministry.

On June 29, the Panama Fourth Bridge consortium, made up of China Communications Construction Company and China Harbor Engineering Company, submitted a bid of 1.420 million dollars for the design and construction of the bridge and remained as the only group participating in the tender.

The Ministry of Public Works then explained the Spanish group Dragados Sucursal Panama, with an offer of 1.812 million dollars, withdrew from the tender, while the other two participants were disqualified.

In addition to Astaldi-Daelin, the Fourth Bridge Consortium CSCEC-CREC, formed by China State Costruction Engineering Corporation LTD and China Railway Group Limited, was also excluded, "it did not meet the mandatory minimum requirements established in the statement of objections," the institution explained.

The work, however, was not formally awarded that day because it is necessary to wait the completion of the claim period, a ministry source told Efe.

The infrastructure, which will have an approximate length of 6.5 kilometers, will be built north of the Bridge of the Americas, one of the most emblematic bridges of the country, located just at the entrance to the Pacific Ocean.

The project will consist of six lanes for vehicles and two exclusive lanes for the third metro line of the capital, which will connect the western satellite cities of Arraiján and Chorrera with the city center.

The bridge will relieve the capital's congested traffic and, according to government estimates, will benefit 1.7 million people.

 

http://www.panamatoday.com/panama/tender-bridge-over-panama-canal-suspended-7272

[Moderator_02]

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Tender for Fourth Bridge Over Canal Suspended

Due to an appeal claim presented by the Astaldi - Daelim Consortium, the suspension has been ordered of the tender act for the design and construction of the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal, in which Chinese companies obtained the best rating.

Thursday, July 5, 2018

In the qualification process carried out by the tender board, the consortium formed by the companies China State Construction Engineering Corporation LTD and China Railway Group Limited, was the winner of the tender with an economic proposal of $1.42 billion and an overall score of 69,9%.

For its part, the Astaldi - Daelim Consortium obtained a score of 46.6% in the evaluation of the technical proposal, but its economic proposal of $1.211 million was disqualified because it was considered "risky", because the price was outside the acceptance range in relation to the reference price.

See details of the offers submitted.

In the appeal lodged by Astaldi - Daelim, it states that " ... Both in the commission's report, as well as in the development of the selection process for contractors, actions have arisen that are openly contrary to the due process of the tender process and to the request for proposals document of said public act, as well as the unique text of Law 22 of the June 27, 2006 and Executive Decree 366 of December 28, 2006."

See also "Public works planned in Central America"

The appeal was received by the General Directorate of Public Procurement, and according to the documentation published in the tender process, it was resolved to admit the appeal case, and the order given to "... a measure to suspend the Act described in the first point of the operative part of this Resolution, and the referral to this address of the conduct report and the file, within the term of two business days ... ".

See information about the tender.

 

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Tender_for_Fourth_Bridge_Over_Canal_Suspended

[Moderator_02]

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Bribery reports throw cloud over fourth bridge contract

Posted on July 6, 2018 in Panama, Panama

 

President Juan Carlos Varela met with executives of the winning consortium last November.

Post Views: 228

 

THE  START date for the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal has become a movable object since President Juan Carlos Varela forecast in October last year that preliminary work would begin in March 2018.

Still in the golden glow of Panama’s honeymoon with China, he was blue-skying about a high-speed rail connection to David and other benefits of the trade marriage between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the bidding process for the $1.5 billion bridge project, to speed road and rail connections with the interior was faltering. After repeated presentations, the technical team assigned to managing the bids was disbanded. Without any clear explanation and a new one installed.

When the bids were opened, the consortium that made the lowest bid was ruled out as “too risky,” raising concerns among many observers that the higher offers could include kickbacks and the award to a Chinese consortium named “Panama Fouth Bridge” drew a storm of criticism.

Now it has been revealed that CHEC  a member of the consortium in line for the contract reportedly has a long record of alleged bribery and mismanagement.

International media have reported bribes in Bangladesh, breach of contract in Costa Rica, pollution in Mexico, and that its Chinese parent company Communications Construction Company was until 2017 on the World Bank list of companies ineligible for financing World for fraudulent practices in the Philippines.

The president of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects (SPIA), Gustavo Bernal, says that the government would be in time to correct the award.

“It is an issue that goes beyond the offers presented, in our opinion should be considered  by both the Comptroller General and  the Directorate of Public Procurement because you have to verify and if there is a company within the group with a history that does not agree with our regulations it must be dismissed”Bernal said.

Others voiced concerns to TVN News that there was a “secret pact”  When President Varela went to China.

TVN News reported that on Wednesday, July 4 the Korean consortium Astaldi-Daelim, filed a complaint against the report of the evaluation commission. The Ministry of Public Works (MOP) said: “The claim is an unfounded action on the part of said Consortium, which we will be answering with the assurance that the entire process was transparent and legitimate. ”

They ensured  that they requested “information from the corresponding entities,  and in the Ministry there is no formal documentation on the cases cited against the  China Harbor company

The ministry notes that the Sacyr and Odebrecht companies withdrew from the tender. Both are International companies Internationals who received multi-billion dollar state contracts in Panama despite having turbid histories of cost overruns and other irregularities in their projects in other countries.

Coincidentally, reports TVN.  CHEC is part of a consortium for the construction of a cruise terminal in Amador together with Jan De Nul, a company that was part of Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC) together with Sacyr for the canal expansion of the interoceanic road.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/bribery-reports-throw-cloud-over-fourth-bridge-contract

[Moderator_02]

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Another Appeal in Fourth Bridge Tender

In addition to the objection presented by the Astaldi - Daelim Consortium, a legal case has now been filed by one of the consortia disqualified at the beginning of the process, called Cuarto Puente CSCEC-CREC, made up of Chinese companies.

Friday, July 13, 2018

According to the Price Report (Technical and Economic), the Consorcio Cuarto Puente  CSCEC-CREC, comprised of China State Construction Engineering Corporation LTD and China Railway Group Limited, was disqualified by the Evaluation Commission, since the aforementioned business group did not meet the minimum mandatory requirements set out in the tender documents.

See details of the offers submitted.

In the complaint presented by the Fourth Bridge Consortium CSCEC-CREC, they ask the General Directorate of Public Procurement to order the Ministry of Public Works to cancel " ... partially the 'Report by the Evaluation Commission of the Technical Proposals'." 

They argue in the written document that " ... the Technical Proposal Evaluation Commission illegally and arbitrarily applied subjective criteria when verifying compliance on the part of Consorcio Cuarto Puente CSCEC-CREC regarding the minimum mandatory technical requirement ... due to an erroneous interpretation of the Law and the tender documents. "

Lastly, they ask that the General Directorate of Public Procurement order the suspension of the public act. 

See complete information about the tender.

In regards to the cases filed, the Ministry of Public Works said last week that " ... the claims constitute a legitimate exercise of all the bidders during the bidding phase. Their admission does not imply a substantive decision, which occurs after evaluation of the validity of the claim."

 

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Another_Appeal_in_Fourth_Bridge_Tender

[Moderator_02]

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$1.42 billion fourth bridge contract signed

Posted on July 28, 2018 in Panama

 

 

The $1.42 billion contract for the design and construction of the fourth bridge over the Canal, awarded to a Chinese consortium was signed by Panama’s Minister of Public Works (MOP on Friday, July 27. The signing  followed a resolution of  the  General Directorate of dismissing the claims of the AstaldiDaelim consortia and Fourth Bridge CSCEC-CREC. The winning consortium consists of China Communications Construction Company and its subsidiary China Harbor Engineering Company.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/1-42-billion-fourth-bridge-contract-signed

[Moderator_02]

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Award of Contract to Build Bridge Over Canal Ratified

After several appeals were filed in the tender to build a fourth bridge over the Panama Canal, confirmation has been given to the award of the contract to the Panama Cuarto Puente consortium, made up of Chinese companies.

Monday, July 30, 2018

The General Directorate of Public Procurement confirmed that the performance of the Ministry of Public Works during the adjudication process was correct, and ratified the decisions taken in the process of awarding the work. 

According to documents published on Panamacompra, confirmation was given of the award to the " ... Consorcio Panamá Cuarto Puente (formed by the companies China Communications Construction Company Ltd. (CCCC), and China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd), for the best value tender with separate evaluation, in the amount of $1,420,027,324.73."

See tender and history of the project.

From a statement issued by the Ministry of Public Works: 

The General Directorate of Public Procurement ratified the actions of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) in the tender process of the Fourth Bridge Over the Canal project.

This decision reactivates the award process of the work in which the winning bidder was the Panama Cuarto Puente Consortium, formed by China Communications Construction Company Ltd. (CCCC), and China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC).

The National Government will build the work with an investment of more than 1,400 million balboas, in order to improve the mobility of 1.7 million users in the west of the country. 

Read full release (in Spanish).

 

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Award_of_Bridge_Over_Canal_Ratified

[Moderator_02]

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Panama regards "project of fourth bridge over the Canal" as "public interest"

Sun, 09/23/2018 - 12:10

The Government of Panama regarded the project of the fourth bridge over the Canal as "public interest", to be administered by the National Highway Company (ENA), and gave instructions to advance financial management for up to 1,500 million dollars for it.

When the ENA project is in place, the budget of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) is not impacted for the next 5 years, according to the State Communication Secretariat.

"If this is not done, the Ministry of Public Works would have to assume the cost of the work affecting the rest of the population, since it would not have the resources to cover the needs that are found throughout the country," said the vice minister of that portfolio, Erich Velásquez.

According to the official information, the Cabinet Council approved Resolution No. 109-18 regarding the project for the construction of the fourth bridge over the Canal, its infrastructure, equipment and facilities works, as well as its operation, maintenance and exploitation as "public interest". 

Meanwhile, the director of Public Financing of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), Víctor Rodríguez, explained that the Cabinet also endorsed instructing the ENA to advance the financial management of the fourth bridge over the Canal.

"A financing structure was endorsed, where through ENA an amount of up to 300 million dollars will be contributed, a structuring will be managed for an additional financing of up to 600 million dollars and an estimated amount of the State through the general budget of 600 million dollars, all along the execution of the work," said Rodríguez.

The general manager of ENA, Roxana Cárdenas, said that after a legal modification of 2016, currently that body is the one that participates in concessions in which the State is a partner in everything related to the toll structure.

"We are accompanying the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Public Works in search of the initial approvals through which we will be seeing refinancing of some of the structures for the fourth bridge over the Canal," she said.

 

https://www.panamatoday.com/panama/panama-regards-project-fourth-bridge-over-canal-public-interest-7925

[Moderator_02]

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Panama  $1.4  billion bridge gets cabinet OK

Posted on September 23, 2018 in Panama, Panama

Post Views: 358

 

Panama’s Cabinet has given the go-ahead for the $1.4 billion fourth bridge over the Panama Canal, as  a  “turnkey” project that will not be finished until the end of the next government.

By declaring it a work of public interest, the State may grant the administration and operation to a subsidiary of the state-owned Empresa Nacional de Autopista (ENA), the current concessionaire of the North, South and East corridors reports La Prensa

To develop the project it is expected to obtain contributions that are generated through the tolls of the South and East corridors, and also State contributions through the Ministry of  Public Works.  (MOP).

What should be clear is that in addition to the fourth bridge, there is line 3 of the Metro and  the benefit that this measure provides is that the MOP does not consume all the payments through the budget, but we have an additional benefit [from tolls], “said  Erich Velásquez, vice minister of the MOP.

The fourth bridge will be cable-stayed with three lanes in each direction for vehicles and includes a space for line 3 of the Panama Metro, which will go from Albrook to Ciudad del Futuro, in Arraiján. The infrastructure seeks to expand the high capacity road network of the capital and its connections with the west side of the Canal, where it is estimated 1.7 million people will live.

In the document approved by the ministers, the MOP is authorized to perform the procedures for  contracting of the administrative concession for the operation, maintenance, and exploitation of the fourth bridge over the Canal to a subsidiary of ENA.”

Prior to a prequalification started in 2016, the MOP bid for the best value with separate evaluation by selecting the Panama Cuarto Puente consortium, composed of the Companies China Communications Construction Company and China Harbor Engineering Company LTD.

The contract includes the design, construction, and maintenance for five years by the consortium. However, it was established that the operation, exploitation and subsequent maintenance  concession will be given to a subsidiary company of ENA, “once the work is completed and can be operated safely.” The construction will take around five years.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/panama-1-4-billion-bridge-gets-cabinet-ok

[Moderator_02]

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No free ride on Canal’s fourth bridge

Posted on September 25, 2018 in Panama

 

The bridge will carry trains and road traffic

Post Views: 410

 

Using the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal will speed up travel to the interior or heading into  the country’s capital, but it will come at a cost for motorists.

To avoid compromising the national budget and increasing the nation’s debt the $1,4 billion construction will be financed through tolls administered by the government-owned National Highway Company (ENA).

“The construction will generate employment, and improvement in the economy over the next five years, “said the deputy minister of Public Works, Erich Velásquez on Tuesday, September 25.

For this, a bond restructuring will be done, which works as a refinancing of debt at a time when ENA revenues exceed $118 million.

“We could also talk about an additional financing of up to $600 million by the State through the budget, “said  Víctor Rodríguez, finance director of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/no-free-ride-on-canals-fourth-bridge

[Moderator_02]

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Fourth Bridge over the Canal Approved

Two years after the publication of the tender, the Varela administration and the Panama Fourth Bridge Consortium signed the contract for the design and construction of the Fourth Bridge over the Panama Canal.

Monday, November 12, 2018

From the statement of the Ministry of Public Works:

November 9th, 2018. Today, the Government of the Republic of Panama, through the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) carried out the signing of the contract with the Panama Fourth Bridge Consortium, formed by the companies CHINA COMMUNICATIONS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LTD and CHINA HARBOUR ENGINEERING COMPANY LTD, for the design and construction of the Fourth Bridge over the Panama Canal, in accordance with the award as a result of the tender for the Best Value with Separate Evaluation No. 2016-0-09-0-99-LV-004736, for an investment amount of B/.1,420,027,324.73.

The main bridge will have a 75-meter gauge and a 51-meter width and it will be of the cable-stayed type to save a main light of 510 meters and lateral lights that add 251 meters to each side. It will have three lanes in each direction and two central lines for monorail for Line 3 of the Panama Metro.

This mega project will offer road connections to and from La Amistad Avenue, Omar Torrijos Avenue, Nacional Avenue, Corredor Norte, Veracruz, Panamerican Highway (8 lanes) and the bridge of Las Americas.

The bridge will have a traffic control system that includes: variable signs, automatic incident detection (A.I.D.) and traffic control cameras. The toll system will be FREE FLOW, in other words, passage without barriers at normal speed under new toll reading gantries.

According to 2017 data, the Government of the Republic of Panama, through the Ministry of Public Works has proposed the construction of this mega work to alleviate the situation of the bridge in Las Americas and to be able to meet future demand in this area estimated at 70,000 vehicles daily.

 

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Fourth_Bridge_over_the_Canal_Approved

[Moderator_02]

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Panama launches work of 1,420 million dollars in charge of Chinese group

Mon, 12/03/2018 - 15:13

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela will deliver the order to proceed for the construction of the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal on Tuesday, a work of 1,420 million dollars by a Chinese consortium that, in addition to vehicles, it will give way to the line 3 of the metro.

The president will make "delivery of the order to proceed of the megaproject, design and construction of the Fourth Bridge on the Panama Canal", in an act at the International Maritime University of Panama, the Ministry of Public Works reported today.

The delivery of this work, the first of a large amount by a Chinese consortium, will take place after the historic official visit to Panama of President Xi Jinping on Monday, who is expected to sign more than a dozen cooperation agreements between the two nations, which entered into diplomatic ties in June 2017.

The Ministry of Public Works and the Panama Fourth Bridge Consortium, formed by the companies China Communications Construction Company LTD and China Harbor Engineering Company LTD, signed on November 9 the contract for the construction of the work, "for an amount of investment per 1,420,027,324.73 dollars," reported then the Panamanian infrastructure office.

The Ministry then said that the bridge, designed for a useful life of 100 years, will benefit more than 1.7 million inhabitants, and seeks to "alleviate the situation of the Las Americas bridge", one of the most emblematic in the country, and "absorb the future demand in this area, estimated at 70,000 vehicles daily according to the records of 2017".

He specified that the road system of this work will be composed "of a main cable-stayed bridge" with viaducts and distributors "that add up to 34 kilometers between roads and ramps".

"The main bridge will have a gauge of 75 meters and a width of 51 meters, and will be of the cable-stayed type to save a main light of 510 meters and side lights that add up to 251 meters on each side. It will have three lanes in each direction and two central lines for monorail for Line 3 of the Panama Metro," he added.

It will have a traffic control system that includes variable signaling, automatic detection of incidents and traffic control cameras, while the toll system will be barrier-free at normal speed under new reading frames, according to the same source.

On June 29, the consortium integrated by Chinese companies presented the offer of 1.420 million dollars for the design and construction of the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal and remained as the only group participating in the tender.

The Italian-American consortium Astaldi-Daelin, which was disqualified from the tender for submitting an economic offer well below the reference price, then filed a claim, which was admitted but failed.

The Spanish group Dragados Sucursal Panama, with an offer of 1,812 million dollars, withdrew from the tender, while the other two participants were disqualified, according to official information then released.

 

https://www.panamatoday.com/panama/panama-launches-work-1420-million-dollars-charge-chinese-group-8571