- Published: 23.04.2018.
PM: Peljesac bridge lasting symbol of added value of EU membership
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Monday that the Peljesac bridge is a strategic project that will connect the south of Croatia with the rest of the country by road, and that the bridge will remain a lasting symbol of the added value of EU membership.
Plenkovic was speaking after the Croatian road operator Hrvatske Ceste and the China Road and Bridge Corporation signed a HRK 2.08 billion contract for the construction of a bridge between the mainland and the Peljesac peninsula and access roads.
The selection of the Chinese consortium, which has very good references and experience in public tendering, presents an additional opportunity to strengthen both political and economic cooperation between Croatia and China, the PM said. He added that the project is an opportunity for Croatian companies to work as partners to the Chinese corporation.
The bridge will be 2.4 kilometres long and 55 metres high, and will have four traffic lanes. It is due to be completed in 36 months. The bridge is the first of four phases of the project "Road connectivity with southern Dalmatia", for which the European Commission approved 357 million euros in grants last year, or 85 percent of eligible costs.
"The bridge will be built on Croatian territory, without any impact on the border issue with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The height of 55 metres will ensure unimpeded passage to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the use of the port of Neum," Plenkovic said.
Text: Hina