Panama receives bids for Pan-American highway upgrade

Panama's public works ministry (MOP) has received four bids for a contract to widen and upgrade a 5.95km section of the Pan-American highway from Las Garzas to Tanara, in Panamá province.

Consortium Asociación Accidental Conansa-Tanara, comprising Costa Rican firms Concreto Asfáltico Nacional and Concreto Asfáltico Conansa, presented the lowest bid at US$27.4mn.

The highest, at US$28.9mn, was submitted by the local subsidiary of Portuguese company Mota-Engil Engenharia e Construção.

A third bid, of US$28.5mn, was handed in by Costa Rican company Constructora Meco, while the fourth, for US$27.6mn, was submitted by the Asociación Accidental Tanara consortium, which is made up of local firm Constructora Urbana CUSA and Constructora de Infraestructura Internacional CIISA.

The reference price MOP had set for the contract was US$28.1mn.

The proposals will now be submitted to an evaluation committee for review.

The original tender for the contract was launched in May, with August 1 scheduled as the bid submission date. The four bids received on that date were subsequently dismissed for not meeting the conditions established in the tender documents, and the tender was declared void.

In photo: The bid opening ceremony (CREDIT: MOP Panamá)