TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands – Two companies have submitted bids to carry out the first phase of the expansion of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, with the proposals now set to undergo evaluation.
Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer said the tenders were opened on September 30 and an evaluation team will now assess the submissions.
Speaking on the Virgin Islands Voice programme, Rymer said the first phase involves a 787-foot extension at the western end of the airport’s runway.
He did not identify the bidders or disclose the value of their proposals, saying further details would be provided after the evaluation process is completed.
Rymer’s announcement came as Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley discussed the government’s infrastructure programme and competing demands on public finances, including improvements required at the airport.
The BVI Airports Authority in May invited firms and joint ventures to submit bids for the western runway extension at the Beef Island airport.
The proposed contract includes the design, construction, completion, testing and commissioning of the extension, as well as the correction of any defects.
The wider airport expansion project has for several years been the subject of discussions between the BVI government and the United Kingdom concerning financing and the territory’s borrowing limits.
In February, Wheatley said the UK was reviewing the project’s business case because the proposed borrowing would exceed the territory’s established debt ratios.
He said the government was awaiting UK approval before moving to the next stage of the procurement process.
Wheatley also said the government intended to make information from the business case public after determining what details should be redacted to avoid compromising the tender process.
