The Balearic Port Authorities have awarded the contract to build the provisional ferry terminal, which will serve the new jetty at Ciutadella, to Ferrovial, the company responsible for the construction of the jetty itself.
Four companies tendered for the project, Ferrovial being selected after some controversy. Only one Menorcan firm, Antonio Gomila SA, entered a bid for the work, but received the least points towards being selected, Ferrovial beating the second-place bidder, Melchor Mascaró, by a margin of only 0.19 points.
The project to contruct the provisional ferry terminal and develop the surrounding land will cost 2,319,427 euros, 580,000 euros less that the maximum price set by the Port Authorities. The company now has a period of six months in which to complete the building that is vital if the jetty is to start operating, which could possibly happen next summer.
The cost of this temporary ferry terminal has elevated the cost of the Ciutadella jetty to 78.9 million euros, 57% more than the original price tendered by Ferrovial and it remains to be seen whether the cost of this latest part of the project will escalate in the same manner as that of the jetty. To this total must be added the cost of adapting the jetty for cruise ships which has been estimated at around 6 million euros.