Ayesa secures contract on Panama Canal bridge project

Ayesa is teaming up with the Chinese construction consortium Panamá Cuarto Puente that won the $1.42 billion construction contract in July 2018. Members include 2661 China Communications Construction, China Harbour Engineering, Chinese State Construction Engineering and 890 China Railway Group.

Procurement for the three-year construction contract for the 6.5km bridge has not been without controversy ever since bidding was opened in 2017.

Apart from the Panamá Cuarto Puente consortium, five other groups pre-qualified in 2016. These were: a consortium formed by South Korean firm 5739 Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Spanish group 3959 Sacyr Construcción; Consortium CCBc onsisting of  Norberto 1305 Odebrecht and 1305 Odebrecht Engenharia e Construção International; Spanish consortium 4761 Dragados Sucursal Panamá; a consortium of 1324 Astaldi from Italy and Daelim from South Korea.

However, media reports by BNamericas later said Consortium CCB had withdrawn from the process in January 2018 after the Panamanian government banned the Brazilian parent company from participating in public tenders following bribery allegations.

Also, the Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Sacyr consortium later terminated its bid for undisclosed reasons.

After the contract was given to the Chinese consortium in June 2018, the a consortium of Astaldi and Daelim unsuccessfully contested the procurement process, delaying the final signing by a month.

The new bridge will connect Panama City's northern corridor with the Pan-American Highway. The bridge’s deck will be above sea level enough to allow passage of the world’s largest cargo ships, post-Panamax vessels.