The long-awaited bridge which will connect two parts of Croatia moves one step closer to being a reality.
In an interview with Croatian Radio Television on Sunday evening, Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković announced that during the week the government would have ready a draft of the law on the construction of the Pelješac Bridge, which should solve numerous administrative obstacles which hamper the implementation of that very important project for Croatia, reports Novi List on April 18, 2016.
"By the middle of the week, we will have ready a draft of the so-called lex specialis for the Pelješac Bridge, which should solve all administrative and legal obstacles to the implementation of this very important project for the Republic of Croatia", said Minister Butković.
When asked whether the draft of the law would be submitted at the next session of the government, Minister Butković said that the draft law would be prepared by the middle of the week and that it would soon after enter the government legislative procedure. He added that at the moment the Ministry was preparing the application for the project which would be submitted to the European Commission in June. The government will make a decision on the construction of the first phase sometime in June, and then a public tender for the construction works should be launched. It is expected that the tender procedure should be completed by the end of the year.
The Minister also announced that on Monday he would visit his colleague, the Minister of Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They will discuss a number of issues related to the transport sector, including the construction of a bridge across the Sava river near Svilaj, the construction of a motorway to Dubrovnik and the construction of the Pelješac Bridge.
Minister Butković said that a contractor had been selected for the bridge near Svilaj and that the investment worth 150 million kunas would be financed jointly by Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in equal amounts.
