China Railway gets major T&T road project
(Trinidad Guardian) China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) has been awarded a $221.7 million contract by the National infrastructure Development Company (Nidco) to build the controversial Curepe Interchange, the state company’s chairman Herbert George has confirmed.
The deal with CRCC was signed off on only recently after it won the bid and contract, bringing an end to three years of controversy and delays that had surrounded the proposed mega project.
Fresh tenders went out on March 27 and closed on June 7. Of the five companies that submitted bids, three were local while two were Chinese firms.
CRCC also won the contract for the Arima Hospital, which is being built at $1.2 billion, while they constructed the Scarborough General Hospital.
“Cabinet has approved the preferred contractor China Railway. They will be the contractor doing the job. They have a joint venture with some local people, so they would do the project,” George said at his El Socorro office last weekend.
George said the cost of the project was reduced by a staggering $179 million, as the original price tag was $400 million He said the $221 million was VAT inclusive.
“So we have saved the taxpayer quite a tidy sum, a substantial sum of $179 million in getting this project off the ground. We did the tendering in a