Tohoku Bureau bids for Chokai Dam diversion road Bridge No. 4 superstructure

Tohoku Regional Development Bureau published a notice in the Official Gazette’s Extraordinary Government Procurement issue on September 28, 2026, regarding the qualification for competition as a Specific Construction Joint Venture for the superstructure work of Bridge No. 4 on the Hyakutaku Line city road realignment for the Chokai Dam in Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture. On the same date, a bid announcement (construction work) was issued by the Expenditure Burdening Officer, the Director-General of the Tohoku Regional Development Bureau. The project will be subject to general competitive bidding as an electronic bidding and electronic contract target project. The notice was issued by Yu Kojima, Director-General of the Tohoku Regional Development Bureau, with procurement agency number 020 and location number 04.

Bridge on Dam Realignment Road, Construction Period until August 2030

The scope of the work is the superstructure of Bridge No. 4 to be constructed on the Hyakutaku Line city road, which is being realigned due to the construction of the Chokai Dam. This will be the new construction of a prestressed concrete bridge. The details shown in the announcement are as follows:

• Project Name: Chokai Dam City Road Realignment Hyakutaku Line Bridge No. 4 Superstructure Work (Electronic Bidding and Electronic Contract Target Project)
• Project Location: Within Hyakutaku, Chokai-cho, Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture
• Project Scope: 1 set of factory fabrication work, PC cantilever box girder bridge work (bridge length L = 320.5 meters), 1 set of bridge appurtenances work, 6 bridge substructures
• Construction Period: From the day following the contract conclusion date until August 19, 2030 (completion deadline). However, the start date of construction must be set by April 1, 2027.

Requirements for Experience on a Single Bridge, Including Maximum Span Length of 55 Meters or More

Participants in the competition are required to have construction experience for PC bridge superstructure work that meets all of the following requirements. These requirements must be met within a single bridge.

• Must be a road bridge (A-live load or higher) or a railway bridge (excluding monorails and new transit systems)
• Must be new construction of a PC bridge with a rigid frame or continuous box girder type
• Maximum span length must be 55 meters or more
• Erection method must be a method other than fixed falsework
• Construction experience must be appropriate

Additionally, conditions include having a license for civil engineering work under the Construction Business Act (Act No. 100 of 1949) with at least 5 years of operation, and being certified for general competitive participation for prestressed concrete work for FY2025/2026 at the Tohoku Regional Development Bureau (excluding port and airport related work). Regarding engineers, it is required that a Chief Engineer or Managing Engineer who holds a 1st Class Civil Engineering Construction Management Engineer qualification or an equivalent or higher qualification can be assigned.

Joint Ventures Limited to 3 Companies, Applications Accepted until October 26

This notice defines the application method, etc., for those seeking to obtain qualification for competition as a Specific Construction Joint Venture. The key points of the composition and procedures are as follows:

• The composition shall be a combination of up to 3 companies, and a regular joint venture cannot be a member.
• All members must have an investment ratio of 6/10 or more of an equal distribution.
• The representative shall be the member with the greatest construction capacity and the highest investment ratio among the members.
• The agreement shall be based on the attached “Specific Construction Joint Venture Agreement (A)” of the “Administrative Handling of Construction Joint Ventures” (Ministry of Construction Keishin No. 69, dated November 1, 1978).
• The name of the venture shall be “Chokai Dam City Road Realignment Hyakutaku Line Bridge No. 4 Superstructure Work [Company Name] · [Company Name] Specific Construction Joint Venture.”
• The application period is from September 28, 2026, to October 26, 2026 (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays).
• Application forms should be obtained from the Tohoku Regional Development Bureau website and submitted, in principle, via email.
• The submission destination is the Construction Contract Adjustment Section, Contract Division, General Affairs Department, Tohoku Regional Development Bureau, Sendai Joint Government Building B, 3-3-1 Honcho, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture.
• The validity period of the qualification is from the date of certification until the completion of this project.

Applications will be accepted at any time after the day following the application deadline; however, it is stated that if the review is not completed by the time of the bid opening, the applicant may be unable to participate in the competition. Ventures including members who have not received certification for general competitive participation may also apply, but in such cases, those members must obtain said certification.

Order Opportunities for Large-Scale Bridge Works, Impact on Local Construction Companies

This project, which involves constructing a PC cantilever box girder bridge with a span of approximately 320 meters, is a large-scale public work requiring a track record of a maximum span length of 55 meters or more, providing an order opportunity for construction companies in the Tohoku region. The application period is short, lasting about one month, and companies meeting the track record requirements must expedite the formation of joint ventures.

Source: Official Gazette (Extra Government Procurement) September 28, 2026, Tohoku Regional Development Bureau “Public Notice Regarding Qualifications of Competitive Participants” (Qualifications of Competitive Participants as a Specific Construction Joint Venture for the Chokai Dam City Road Realignment Hyakutaku Line Bridge No. 4 Superstructure Work), Procurement Agency Number 020, Location Number 04, Director General of Tohoku Regional Development Bureau, Yu Kojima.