$36.5m Bahrain Airport expansion contract awarded

A $36.5 million (BD13.4 million) contract to manage a major expansion of Bahrain Airport has been awarded to Hill International, despite rival consultancy firm Mace submitting the lowest bid.

Mace had submitted a bid of $31 million for the contract with Bahrain Airport Company, but was not successful.

Hill International’s contract was agreed on a four year base term with a four year optional extension period and has an estimated value of $36.5 million over the full eight year term, said a company statement.

The expansion program includes construction of two new passenger terminals, aprons, separate piers, a people mover system, car parking, road works and infrastructure, Construction Week Online reported.

It also includes development of an adjacent Airport City including hotels, conference centres, retail and recreational facilities.

CEO of Bahrain Airports Company (BAC) Dr Osama Al Ali previously said that they hope to award the design contract and construction contract for phase one before the end of the year with construction tipped to start in early 2010.

The first phase of the project will increase the airports annual capacity from seven million people to 12 million when it is completed in 2011.

“This is essential infrastructure for Bahrain because we have now exceeded the capacity of the existing terminal building,” Al Ali had earlier said.

“It is capable of handling seven million and in 2008 we had a volume of 9.2 million.”

The long term plan for Bahrain airport will see capacity rise to 28 million by 2030, a vision which will be completed over five phases. Phase two is to start in 2012 with completion set for 2015.

Hill International, with 2,300 employees in 80 offices worldwide, provides program management, project management, construction management and construction claims and consulting services.

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