Chugoku Bureau Bids for Kagekake Pass Road Tunnel Paving Work

The Chugoku Regional Development Bureau announced in the Official Gazette (Extra Edition for Government Procurement) dated September 30, 2026, that the FY2026 Kagekake Pass Road Tunnel Paving Work will be subject to general competitive bidding. The Expenditure Burdening Officer is Taishi Yamamoto, Director-General of the Chugoku Regional Development Bureau. This project is announced as a subject for both electronic bidding and electronic contracting.

The announcement was published in the Government Procurement Announcement Edition and includes procurement subject to the Agreement on Government Procurement based on the WTO. The procurement agency number is 020, the location number is 34, and the item classification number is 41 (Construction Work). The work consists of paving a tunnel extending from Misaka, Saijo-cho, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, to Niya, Nichinan-cho, Hino-gun, Tottori Prefecture, with a total construction length of L=3,540 meters.

Project Overview and Main Quantities

• Project Name: FY2026 Kagekake Pass Road Tunnel Paving Work (Electronic Bidding Subject / Electronic Contract Subject)
• Project Location: Misaka, Saijo-cho, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture 〜 Niya, Nichinan-cho, Hino-gun, Tottori Prefecture
• Construction Length: L=3,540 meters
• Scope of Work: Paving (1 set), Road Earthwork (1 set), Paving Work (1 set), Concrete Paving (ICT) Carriageway Paving (Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement) 23,230 square meters, Concrete Paving (ICT) Carriageway Paving (Concrete Pavement) 134 square meters / 67 square meters / 360 square meters, Drainage Structure Work (1 set), Gutter Work (1 set), Type 1 Circular Waterway 3,410 meters, Type 2 Circular Waterway 3,410 meters, Road Ancillary Facility Work (1 set), Backing Concrete 570 cubic meters, Temporary Work (1 set), Structure Removal Work (1 set)
• Main Materials and Equipment Used: Ready-mixed concrete approx. 5,000 cubic meters, Steel materials (bar steel) approx. 300 tons

Bidding Procedures and Evaluation Method

• Award Method: Among the Comprehensive Evaluation Award Methods (Technical Proposal Evaluation Type (SⅡ Type)) that comprehensively evaluate price and non-price factors, this is a Construction System Confirmation Type Comprehensive Evaluation Award Method, which examines the status of securing the construction system, including the system for ensuring quality.
• ICT: An ICT-utilized project (Client-Specified Type I) based on i-Construction advocated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, utilizing 3D data for commencement surveys, review of design documents, construction, as-built management, inspection, and final construction drawings.
• Contract Method: A project subject to the Total Price Contract Unit Price Agreement Method, where unit prices and other details are agreed upon as a breakdown of the total price contract through consultations between the client and the contractor after the contract is concluded.
• Low Bid Price Investigation System: As a project with a planned price of 100 million yen or more, the installation of monitor cameras on-site and the video recording and submission of construction for invisible parts are required.
• Pilot project for the Post-Contract Value Engineering (VE) method.
• Selective demolition and the recycling of specified construction material waste are mandated based on the Act on Recycling of Materials derived from Construction Work (Act No. 104 of 2000).
• Submission of labor productivity (unit price) estimates is required along with the application for confirmation of competitive participation qualifications; the determined labor productivity will be disclosed to companies notified as qualified via the electronic bidding system, etc.
• A pilot project where some unit prices are disclosed as reference items in the estimation reference materials, and relevant data necessary for creating technical documents are provided to those who request them.

Construction Period and Buffer Period Setting

In order to ensure that the contractor can establish a smooth construction execution system, this project includes a buffer period allowing for preparations such as securing construction materials and laborers in advance. The overall construction period is from the day following the contract conclusion date until January 31, 2028. Within the period up to the construction completion deadline indicated by the client, the contractor may arbitrarily set the start and end dates of the construction period (the start date must be no later than April 1, 2027). The contractor shall notify the start and end dates of the construction period using Attached Form 37 by the time the contract is concluded.

During the buffer period, it is not necessary to assign a Chief Engineer or Managing Engineer. Preparations for materials and other items not brought to the site may be conducted, but the commencement of construction, such as the delivery of materials or installation of temporary structures, is prohibited. Preparations carried out during the buffer period shall be the responsibility of the contractor.

This public notice opens government procurement opportunities for construction companies for tunnel paving—a highly specialized type of work—by combining the utilization of ICT construction technology with the evaluation of the construction system. The deadline for submission of bids, the date and time/location of the bid opening, and details regarding competitive participation qualifications are stipulated in the Bidding Instructions. Additionally, a separate procurement notice for voting mark cards by the Japan Racing Association will be published in the Official Gazette on the same day, with the bid opening scheduled for December 17, 2026, at 14:00.

Source: Official Gazette (Extra Edition for Government Procurement) September 30, 2026, Invitation to Bid (Construction Work), Expenditure Authorizing Officer Director General of Chugoku Regional Development Bureau, Taishi Yamamoto, Procurement Agency Number 020, Location Number 34, Item Classification Number 41.