Turkey's General Directorate for Highways has extended bid due dates for the construction of two sections of the Northern Marmara Motorway (NMM) project in Istanbul.

The NMM will bypass the city of Mamara and cross the Bosphorus to the north of Istanbul. The tender processes for the two projects were launched in late October 2014. The bid due dates have been extended to:

• 31 August 2015 for the NMM Kurtköy - Akyazi section PPP project, whose total investment is estimated at US$2 billion;
• 7 September 2015 for the NMM Kinali - Odayeri section PPP project, whose project investment is estimated at US$2 billion.

The projects will be developed under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. The preferred bidders will be responsible for the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance (DBFOM) of the road sections during the concession period.

Additionally, Turkey will look for developers for the following projects:

• General Directorate of Highways' Ankara - Nigde Motorway PPP project. The Build-Operate-Transfer model project is expected to cost about TL4 billion (US$1.5 billion). Of the total project route, 152 km. is located on the provincial borders of Ankara, 96 km. of Aksaray, 22 km. of Kýrþehir, 6 km. of Konya, 28 km. of Nevþehir and 25 km. of Nià°de including connection roads.

• General Directorate of Highways' Ankara - Kirikkale - Delice Motorway and Kirikkale Ring Road PPP project. The 100 km. long motorway will be a 2x3 lane and full access control road. There will be 7 junctions on the motorway and 6 connection roads will be built for access to the motorway. The motorway will continue to the direction of Samsun through another motorway past Delice which will cost more than TL2,2 billion (US$825 million). The feasibilities of the project, which is planned to be developed by Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, are being examined by the Ministry of Development. Work will speed up for the completion of the project upon the obtainment of the EIA-positive decision.

• Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications' (UDHB) Western Antalya Airport Project. Feasibility studies have also started on the selected land, which is located 200 km. away from the Antalya city center and 190 km. from Dalaman airport. If the results of the feasibility studies prove to be positive, project preparations will begin. The project will be developed by the Infrastructure Investments General Directorate affiliated to the Ministry. The tender method is expected to be clarified according to the results of the feasibility studies, one of which being the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.

We have recently reported that Astaldi-led consortium signed a financing contract worth US$5 billion for the Gebze-Orhangazi-Izmir motorway public private partnership (PPP) project in Turkey. Once completed, the work will ensure the link between Gebze and Izmir, halving the travel time by car which currently exceeds 8 h. The project includes a suspension bridge that will be the 4th longest in the world.