As many as 14 firms in a JV have submitted pre-qualification bids for construction of the underground metro rail from Colaba to Seepz via Bandra.

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), a promoter of the project, will now take 90 days to evaluate the proposals and shortlist the companies based on their experience and eligibility. Thereafter, the development authority will float requests for proposals (RfPs) for the actual construction.

The bidders are: Afcon-KMB; CEC-ITD Cementation India-TPL; CTCEC- Pan India Infrastructures; Dogus-Soma; IL&FS-CR256 (China Railway); J Kumar-CRTG; Larsen & Toubro-STEC; Mosmetrostory-Hindustan Construction Company; OHL-SK Engineering & Construction; Pratibha-GDYT Consortium; Sacyr-CMC-Essar; Salin Impreglio-Gammon; Strabag-AG-Patel Engineering; and Unity Infrastructure-IVRCL-CTG.

In September 2013, MMRDA had invited RfQs for the 33.5 km metro line, estimated to cost Rs 23,136 crore. However, the last date for submission of bids was extended on five occasions to ultimately 10 March, 2014.

The metro project, which will have 27 stations, will be constructed in seven contract packages. The MMRDA will deploy tunnel boring machines for the underground metro instead of resorting to the traditional drilling or blasting method.

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