The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (Vegagerðin) signed a contract last week with the Norwegian company LNS (Leonhard Nilsen & Sønner) for bridge construction in Gufudalssveit. The contract price is about ISK 200 million above the cost estimate.
The agreement between Vegagerðin and LNS—covering bridge works in Gufudalssveit—has now been finalized. Negotiations had been delayed after the tender was appealed to the Public Procurement Complaints Committee.
The project entails building two cast-in-place concrete bridges on Vestfjarðavegur (Westfjords Road) through Gufudalssveit. LNS submitted the third-lowest bid.
Bids were opened at the end of April. After reviewing the financial criteria, Vegagerðin decided to contract with the Norwegian firm rather than the two lowest bidders.
The lowest bidder appealed to the complaints committee, which granted Vegagerðin permission in late September to proceed with contracting.
“Fortunately, we are now well along with this—one bridge remains and will be tendered around the turn of the year. It’s very positive to be able to conclude this contract,” says Bergþóra Þorkelsdóttir, Director of Vegagerðin.
The contract amounts to just under ISK 2 billion—about ISK 200 million above the estimate. The final stage of the project will be tendered at the end of this year: a 250-metre bridge over Djúpafjörður, along with final finishing works. Once complete, the route west will be about 22 kilometres and 30 minutes shorter, surfaced with paved (bituminous) pavement and kept to low elevations.
“The national transport plan goes to parliament this autumn, and then the government’s priorities will become clear. The projects we are working on now will complete the route through Reykhólasveit and over Dynjandisheiði, and that is what we are doing. We’ll then see how the rest is prioritized.”
Source: Ruv.is
