Chile aims to tender public works contracts worth over US$300mn in July

Chile’s public works ministry (MOP) plans to launch tenders for 215 contracts involving over 291bn pesos (US$323mn) during July, including construction works, advisory consultancies for government inspections and studies for future projects. 

The roadworks office concentrates most of the planned investments with nearly 145bn pesos, which entail both regular funds (136bn pesos) and resources from an emergency COVID-19 fund (8.9bn pesos), documents from MOP’s planning office DIRPLAN show.

Some of the largest contracts scheduled to be offered next month are:

Route 5 widening: Chacalluta border complex-Chacalluta airport access (8.7bn pesos). It involves widening a 6.9km of the country’s main highway, route 5, between the Chacalluta complex (pictured) on the border with Peru and the access to Chacalluta airport that serves the city of Arica (Arica y Parinacota region), documents from the social development ministry show.

Quellón fishing port improvements (12.3bn pesos): Entails adding a 9,850m2 maintenance yard to the fishing port of Quellón on Chiloé island (Los Lagos region).

Fildes Bay port (14bn pesos): Consists of building a new port for container ships passing through Fildes Bay on Rey Jorge Island (Antarctica). A first stage would consist of building a 40m pier and the installation of cranes and other container handling equipment. The second stage would expand the pier’s length to 75m.

Route A-143 improvements: Route 11 intersection-route A-191 stretch (12.5bn pesos). Entails improving a 13.9km section of route A-143 near the village of Poconchile (Arica y Parinacota region).

Studies and consultancy contracts are also scheduled to be tendered in July. 

Zapallar reservoir (US$312mn): While the concession tender for this project is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023, MOP’s waterworks office DOH plans to tender an agroeconomics study for the reservoir next month. The planned dam would have capacity for 80Mm3 (million cubic meters) and will help irrigate 10,000ha in Ñuble region.

Route 68 highway (US$1.1bn): MOP has yet to open bids for the second concession for this 99.3km highway between Santiago and Valparaíso, but its concessions office plans to tender a 5.9bn-peso consultancy contract next month. This would entail advising government inspectors during the works. 

Route 5 highway, Chillán-Collipulli stretch (US$417mn): As with route 68, a tender has been launched for the improvement and operation of this 169km section of route 5 linking the regions of Ñuble, Biobío and Araucanía, but offers have not been opened yet. A consultancy contract to advise government inspectors is scheduled to be tendered in July.