South Korea’s Defense Ministry announced that it has selected a joint venture of CH2M Hill Cos., Denver, and South Korean firm Kunwon Engineering as “preferred bidder” to be program manager for what could be up to an $11-billion construction effort for infrastructure to consolidate and relocate U.S. forces in that country. A CH2M Hill spokesman confirms the April 24 award to the team, which includes three other South Korean firms. Teams led by AECOM, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Fluor Corp. and KBR also competed for the award. Ownership of the project is split between the South Korean Defense Ministry and the U.S. Dept. of Defense. The CH2M Hill-Kunwon team is set to sign a second contract for the U.S. military portion of the work in South Korea through the Army Corps of Engineers.