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The deadline for the submission of bids for the construction and operation of the Monterrey VI Aqueduct PPP project, in Mexico, has been delayed for the second time.

According to sources, the project has been now delayed due to the fact that there were still many questions submitted by bidders without answer and the procurement agency needed more time to give appropriate answers to those questions.

Local sources said that 27 private parties were interested in the project although the names of the firms were not public.

The deadline to submit technical proposals has been postponed from July 24th to August 14th 2014. Despite the delay, construction works are scheduled to start in December this year and the project is expected to be operational by the end of 2017.

The proposed project consists of the construction and operation of an aqueduct approximately 372 km long to deliver water from the Pánuco River in the State of San Luis Potosí to the operational Cerro Prieto-Monterrey aqueduct system. The system will include 6 pump stations, access and maintenance roads, as well as electrical transmission lines and interconnections for each pump station. Water delivered to the Cerro Prieto-Monterrey system will be delivered to the Monterrey Metropolitan Area for use.

The aqueduct, pumping plants and water treatment plant will be built according to the DBOT scheme (design, build, operate, and transfer), with a 30-year concession for operation.

The total project investment is estimated at about US $1,180 million.

The project will have a contribution of around US$227 million provided by Fonadin, the Mexico's national infrastructure fund. The fund supports the planning, design, construction and transfer of infrastructure projects developed by the private sector that combine social impact and economic gain.