Construction ‘giants’ forming consortiums, JVs to bid for MRT3

MRT3 will be linking both the MRT1 and MRT2 lines as it will form a loop around Kuala Lumpur city

Construction “giants” are said to be forming consortiums and JVs to prepare for the “eventual” construction tenders for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit Line 3 (MRT3), The Edge Malaysia reported in its latest issue.

“YTL Corp is said to be partnering with Siemens and a bumiputera company, while SunCon [Sunway Construction Group] and IJM Corp are in a JV together.

“This is, of course, in addition to MMC Corp Bhd and Gamuda Bhd coming together again to bid for the project,” wrote the weekly.

MMC and Gamuda were the project delivery partners for the Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line (MRT1) and the turnkey contractor for the Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line (SSP or MRT2).

“Everybody is gunning for it. The big guns are preparing for it,” a source told The Edge.

MRT3 will link the MRT1 and MRT2 lines as it will go around Kuala Lumpur city. Earlier reports have revealed that the line will have 30 stations, with 10 being interchange stations and other MRT, light rail transit and KTM Komuter lines.

In April, MRT Corp CEO Mohd Zarif Mohd Hashim said the entire alignment will be about 50km, of which 40% will be underground. The project will take about a decade to be completed (initial plans said that it was seven years).

A CGS-CIMB Research report has stated that the MRT3 project is estimated to cost between RM27 billion and RM32 billion.