The deadline to bid for the construction of a tramway track on a design-build-finance-operate-transfer basis in Skopje (Macedonia) has been extended.

The tender process was relaunched in early January this year. The deadline to submit proposals was 11 May 2014 but it has been extended twice. The first time it was extended to 1 September 2014, but now the new deadline is 3 November 2014.

The project cost is estimated at €243 million ($335 million). The PPP contract is for a period of 35 years. The tramway project involves:

• Design of infrastructure for light rail line 1 (one)
• Preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment Study/Elaborate for environmental protection;
• Construction of line 1 (one) route length of 12.1 km (24.20 in two directions);
• Construction of stations, depot and other necessary infrastructure;
• Procurement of minimum 22 (twenty two) tram cars; and
• Operation, including Maintenance for the line 1 for the entire duration of the PPP Contract.

Skopje's public transport system currently relies on a fleet of some 500 buses, 300 of which are publicly owned with 200 run by private companies.

Skopje, with a population 750,000, has been considering building a tram system for 30 years as a more efficient and ecologically friendly solution for everyday commuting. Former Mayor Trifun Kostovski ordered a feasibility study on trams in 2009 and carried out other preparations, but the idea ran out of steam when Kostovski left office. Mayor Trajanovski didn't express support for the idea until 2011.

See extension notice:

http://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:292754-2014:TEXT:EN:HTML&src=0