ZAGREB, February 1, 2019 – Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Thursday visited the construction site of the Pelješac bridge in southern Croatia, saying works were proceeding very well, faster than envisaged, and that the bridge should be completed in three years' time.
"The final deadline for the completion of all access roads and the Pelješac bridge is 31 January 2022," he told reporters, adding that pylons were currently being installed which would later hold the bridge columns.
Plenković said everything indicated the works would be completed in time. "In that way, we will finally achieve the strategic goal of connecting Croatia's south with all of Croatia."
The fact that the European Union is co-financing the bridge with 357 million euro "shows all of Croatia how important the cohesion policy is and how important the aid from the European budget is for this key infrastructure project," he said.
"This project was prepared seriously and will be a permanent symbol of the first seven years of our European Union membership," he said, adding that the bridge would show "how much we have all profited from it."
Plenković said the bridge was "of enormous significance for Croatia because we are making a new, special dimension of our cooperation with China." He thanked the China Road and Bridge company, which is building the bridge, Croatian Roads and the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure for their engagement in the construction.
Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Oleg Butković said that what they saw today was "indeed impressive and satisfactory." He added the 15th pylon was installed today. "It was envisaged that 1.35 pylons per day would be installed, yet we have two pylons per day being installed on average."
Butković said procedures for the second, third and fourth stages of construction were under way and that Croatian Roads would soon select the contractor for the second stage, which includes building 12 km of access roads. "Bids for the third and fourth stages will be submitted on February 14," he said, adding that the construction of Pelješac bridge was "a positive and successful story."
More news on the Pelješac bridge construction can be found in the Business section.
