The bridge connects the Peljesac peninsula with the mainland. It bypasses the Neum Corridor, which is a 15-kilometer-long coastal strip of Bosnia-Herzegovina that lies between the Croatian coast further north and the rest of Dalmatia. Since Bosnia-Herzegovina is not part of the EU, commuters and tourists have sometimes had to wait a long time at the border crossings.
The drive between Zagreb and Dubrovnik took a good six hours, with the bridge it should be two hours shorter. For travelers, the time-consuming border controls when driving through Bosnia will also be a thing of the past. Despite the opening of the bridge, you will still have to wait for a completely traffic jam-free journey. By the end of the year, a bypass around the town of Ston should be ready.
357 million euros from the EU
The entire project, the bridge and more than 30 kilometers of access roads, has an investment volume of 525 million euros, to which the EU contributed 357 million euros from the cohesion fund. The bridge was built by the state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRCB). The Chinese group rejected STRABAG and an Italian-Turkish consortium in a tender. STRABAG, on the other hand, built part of the access roads.
Construction had to be temporarily halted
The idea of a bridge to the Peljesac peninsula is over 20 years old. Concrete plans were not realized beforehand due to a lack of funds. The construction work, which began in 2007, was initially slowed down by the economic crisis, and construction stopped in 2010. The project received new momentum only after Croatia’s accession to the EU and the possibility of financing with EU funds.
Peljesac Bridge opened in Croatia
Croatia has celebrated the opening of a two-and-a-half-kilometer bridge connecting the southern Adriatic coast, including Dubrovnik, with the rest of the country.
In 2017, the EU injected hundreds of millions of euros, which covered around 85 percent of the project costs. A year later, the Chinese state-owned company CRCB was commissioned with the construction – the first significant Chinese participation in an infrastructure project in Croatia.
Prime Minister Plenkovic: “Historical day for Croatia”
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic spoke of a historic day for the country, with which a national, strategic and pan-Croatian project was implemented. “We have realized the Croatian dream,” said Plenkovic at the inauguration ceremony.
Referring to the significant funding from the EU Cohesion Fund, Plenkovic highlighted the Union’s principle of solidarity, which helps less developed member countries. He stressed that Croatia could use its EU membership in the best way. The bridge is also a project that has linked Croatia with China, the Croatian PM added.
EU Commission Vice-President Dubravka Suica, who hails from Dubrovnik, congratulated Croatia on the successful completion of the largest infrastructure project funded by the Union in the newest EU country. The bridge is a symbol of European values, solidarity and support among EU members, said the deputy commissioner.
accompanied by protests
The construction of the bridge was controversial and was accompanied by protests from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Authorities complained that the bridge would make access to the sea more difficult for large ships traveling to and from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Zagreb then agreed to build the bridge 55 meters higher. This means that even the largest ships can sail under – most recently, a cruise ship docked in Neum for the first time.
Croatia’s President Zoran Milanovic also addressed the protests in the neighboring country in his speech at the opening ceremony. “The Peljesac Bridge was built in the interests of Croatia and its people, but never to the detriment or defiance of anyone, especially Bosnia-Herzegovina,” the President said.