- Invitation for bids issued by AASL
- Japanese funding secured for ongoing project: Min. Sec.
The Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation has called for international tenders for the continuation of Phase II of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) Development Project.
Against a backdrop of delays and crises that have continued to push back its completion, the recommencement of construction of Terminal II has been confirmed with the issuing of an Invitation for Bids (IFB) by the Airport and Aviation Service Sri Lanka (AASL).
When contacted by The Sunday Morning, Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation Secretary K.D.S. Ruwanchandra confirmed that the project was currently underway through Japanese funding.
“The tenders have been called,” he confirmed. “The project is being completely funded by the Official Development Assistance (ODA) of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).”
Ruwanchandra added that the tenders were not only local but international as well.
“For now, with the new Government, there hasn’t been any change and we have been carrying on with our operations as usual,” he continued. “We will have to see if there are any changes in the process of operations after the Parliamentary Elections.”
Via tender number 105/T/2024, AASL invited bids for the completion of Phase II Stage 2, detailing the construction it entailed.
Accordingly, the tender states: “The scope of the BIA Development Project Phase II Stage 2 – Package ‘A1’ consists of the construction and completion of the Main Terminal Building, Pier No.2 and Pier No.3, as well as other associated works. This package also included the completion of the elevated roadway and utility systems such as power supply, sewage disposal, and water supply systems.”
The construction period for Package ‘A1’ is 30 months.
Further, the tender adds that the original contract for Package ‘A’ – Passenger Terminal Building and Associated Works began in December 2020 and was scheduled for completion by December 2023.
The bidding is stated to be conducted through procedures in accordance with the applicable guidelines for procurements under Japanese ODA loans and is open for all bidders from eligible source countries as defined in the bidding document.
All bidders and their designated representatives are invited to attend the pre-bid meeting on 12 November. The closing date for the bid has been stated as 23 December.
Having first broken ground with its development stage in November 2007, the BIA faced a number of setbacks in the completion of Phase II. Following the conclusion of the development stage in August 2014, which then led to the submission of a new design for the green terminal in July of the same year, the construction of a new terminal marked a prominent aspect of this project.
The construction of the new terminal began in April 2017 after its initial launch on 7 September 2014.
With its relaunch on 18 November 2020, the original cost of the project was Rs. 145 billion as it commenced in December 2020. However, the original contract was halted in 2022, owing to Sri Lanka declaring bankruptcy due to the economic crisis that befell the country.
By the time of its termination, only 6% of the project’s Phase II had been completed. The second phase of the expansion project at the airport is currently aimed to be completed by the end of 2027.