Among the contracts worth 50 million kuna, signed by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković this past week for 18 projects for port infrastructure in seven coastal counties, at the forefront with 12 million kuna is the Split-Dalmatia County Port Authority. This County generated 50 percent of all nautical overnights in Croatia, while this ambitious four-year programme valued at 180 million kuna has been silently coming near to completion
A completely public investment will renovate or adapt a total of four kilometres of shoreline at sixteen different locations, with three new catamaran and ferry docks and 900 new municipal and 700 nautical berths. The investor is the Port Authority itself with a loan of 70 million kuna and own funds, with several million kuna annually from the Split-Dalmatia County and assistance from the state: 12 million in 2017 and 18 million in the previous year, Tportal has reported on April 2, 2017.
The programme was introduced just over two and a half years ago and to date most of it has been completed or near the end: new services are available in Makarska, Trogir, Stari Grad on Hvar Island, Supetar, Jelsa, Rogač on Šolta Island and Vis. Works are under way in Hvar and Pučišća on Brač Island, set to begin in Omiš, Drvenik, Sućuraj on Hvar Island and Kaštel Stari, with minor delays in Krilo Jesenice and Bol on Brač Island.
All of them are public and municipal infrastructure, berths for public transport and local residents, while the 700 commercial berths will serve to alleviate their deficit on the Adriatic – but also the sustainability of the entire project.
Other than the construction of ACI marinas near the end of the previous century, most of the maritime infrastructure in this part of the Adriatic dates from the times of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and its lifetime is dangerously close. Director of the Split-Dalmatia County Port Authority Domagoj Maroević especially emphasised island investments which will enable their better connection to the mainland, higher quality of life for residents and opportunity for tourism growth.
“Our priorities are municipal infrastructure and berths for people who live on the coast and islands,” explained Maroević, stating ten projects have been applied for EU funds support, which would enable their faster completion and a new cycle of investments.
Since he took charge of the Port Authority several years ago, Maroević can boast truly impressive business results: income has been more than doubled and an annual loss of about a million kuna was turned around to a 22 million kuna surplus, used again exclusively for investments. The uniqueness of this investment is in its completely public character: all of the towns or counties have construction and management partners in local municipal companied, who will receive 50 percent of the income.
Immediately after the investment valued at 180 million kuna is completed – sometime near the end of 2018 – in the period from 2020 to 2024 a new investment cycle is expected in Split-Dalmatia County. Next in line will be Kut on Vis Island, Križna Luka and Vira on Hvar Island, ferry docks in Stari Grad and Sumartin, two new piers in Jelsa, second phases in Bol and Trogir, Neučjam on Šolta Island, Postira and Milna on Brač Island, Pisak and Živogošće on the mainland.
Especially welcome by the locals is the number of several hundred berths for this boats, as well as better fishing infrastructure, but also a 180 metre long dock which will enable Stari Grad on Hvar Island to host even the largest cruise ships.
