A

t least 40 consortiums have applied for a tender auction of Jakarta’s first Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project, which is projected to cost Rp 15.5 trillion (US$1.81 billion).

The city administration said it was expecting more applications before the May 31 deadline. A pre-qualification selection process will be held before the tender auction in July, it said.

Tribudi Rahardjo, president director of city-owned PT MRT Jakarta, said the company would select the eligible companies within the next three to four weeks.

Tribudi said that among the requirements the bidding consortiums should fulfill were experience and expertise in MRT construction.

The cost of the MRT will be mostly covered by a ¥120 billion (US$1.46 billion) soft loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Tribudi said that half of the 40 consortiums were Japanese companies partnered with local companies.

The first phase of the project — which comprises an MRT central station, a depot and a line running from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta — is expected to begin in the first quarter of next year and be completed by 2016.

The administration plans to build six underground stations and seven above-ground stations along the route.

The six underground stations will be at Al Azhar mosque, Senayan area, Bendungan Hilir, Setiabudi, Dukuh Atas, and the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle. Seven elevated stations will be built in Lebak Bulus, Fatmawati, Cipete Raya, H. Nawi, Blok A, Blok M and Sisingamangaraja.

The construction work will be divided into six packages offered in the tender auction.

The construction packages comprise the depot and central station, two elevated stations, and three underground tunnels and stations.

On Thursday, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said the MRT project was on schedule. “I keep monitoring the project, so far I haven’t seen any problems,” he said.

Fauzi said construction work would only begun after all of the needed land was procured.

The administration is aiming to begin working on an MRT station where Lebak Bulus Stadium in South Jakarta is currently situated before March next year. When it first opens, the MRT is expected to have a passenger capacity of 212,000 people per day, which will eventually be increased to 960,000 per day.