The two companies bidding on the planned Dawson City bridge have asked that the closing date for the request for proposals be pushed back.

The Yukon government has agreed to do that.

The change of date means the proposals will now be received by the Department of Highways and Public Works on May 24, rather than the original date of May 12.

'The agreement to extend the RFP proposal deadline to May 24 comes out of ongoing discussions,' Economic Development Minister Jim Kenyon told the legislature Tuesday.

The bridge is part of a pilot project being used by the government to develop a policy regarding the use of public-private partnerships (P3) in the Yukon.

The opposition parties have suggested previously that there is evidence, including the government seeking the advice of P3 experts Partnerships B.C., showing that a decision has already been made to go forth with the bridge as a P3.

'The memorandum of understanding (with Partnerships B.C.) will allow the Yukon government to participate in a P3 and at the same time gain the knowledge and skills required to undertake P3s in the future,' Kenyon told the legislature Tuesday.

Over the last few weeks, there has been concern from the opposition parties and the public regarding ownership issues involved in P3 projects as well as the true cost of P3s.

Throughout Canada, several P3 projects have been plagued with problems, including ending up costing far more than expected.

The Confederation Bridge in Prince Edward Island was constructed as a P3 project and ended up costing taxpayers $45 million more than if it had been built publicly, the Auditor General of Canada reported in 1995.

Eric Fairclough, NDP MLA for Mayo-Tatchun, asked Kenyon if the change of date was at the request of the two bidders or the department.

Kenyon told the house the date change was by mutual agreement of all parties concerned.

However, Robin Walsh, director of transportation engineering at the Department of Highways and Public Works, told the Star today that the request came from the two bidders.

The request was placed because both bidders wanted more time to study the project in terms of cost and design, Walsh said.

The department did go through a consideration process regarding changing the date because there were concerns a delay in getting the request for proposals may create a delay in starting the construction of the bridge, Walsh added.

'We were told if you don't give us enough time to price it properly, we add risk,' Walsh said. The added risk could have meant the government would have ended up paying more for the project, he said.

It isn't uncommon for extensions to be asked for when dealing with requests for proposals, Walsh added.

The opposition criticized the change of date on Tuesday. The new timeline will mean the proposals will not be received until after the end of the legislative session on May 17.

'This government likes to keep its dealings out of the public's eye,' Fairclough said.

'Time and time again, we have seen the government take unilateral action that throws the normal process out the window, even when it involves millions and millions of taxpayers' dollars.'

Even if the proposals had been received on May 12, a decision would not have been made in time for it to be placed before the legislature, Walsh said.

After the proposals are received, they'll go through about a three-week evaluation process looking at their costs and merits before any other decision is made, Walsh said.