September the 26th, 2022 - Peljesac Bridge might have taken all of the limelight away from, well, just about everything else for a while, but there will soon be another Croatian bridge in town.

As Morski writes, by the end of this year, Croatian Roads (Hrvatske ceste) will announce a tender for the technical and design solution of the new bridge over Kastela Bay, which will connect Split and Kastela and at the same time represent the fastest connection of the second largest city in the country with a highway, this state-owned company confirmed for tportal.

This facility is part of a wider project called ''New entrance to Split/Novi ulaz u Split'', and it includes the construction of a new road from the Vucevica intersection on the highway, through the Kozjak tunnel and over the two-lane road to Kastela, then over the aforementioned bridge into Split and then finally to the ferry port. It is worth several billion kuna and four years ago it was included in the list of strategic projects of the Republic of Croatia.

It was announced that the part from Vucevica to Kastela will be financed by Croatian Roads from its own resources, including the tunneling through Kozjak, and for that part of the investment, the public procurement procedure for the execution of the works for this new Croatian bridge has already been initiated. The documentation for the bridge itself will be prepared for financing from European Union (EU) funds.

While it won't take anywhere near as long as Peljesac Bridge did to come to fruition, the completion of the entire project for this new Croatian bridge in Central Dalmatia is not expected before the year 2027.

In addition to the traffic connection of the congested Split agglomeration, the ''New entrance to Split'' project should result in a welcome a twenty-kilometre shorter journey between this city and the City of Zagreb, and finally enable Kastela to have a direct connection with the highway. In addition, it will bring a new road access to Split itself, a city located on a peninsula, which has been dependent on two roads on its eastern part for many decades now.

Apart from the confirmation of the tender for the new bridge, Croatian Roads did not want to provide any additional information on this topic.

Across the wider Split area, Croatian Roads currently implementing several projects worth several billion kuna, but despite the announcements, physical works haven't yet started in most of them. It is precisely in this area that the two busiest points in all of Croatia are located, the intersections of Solin and Stobrec, which are used by about 60,000 vehicles on a daily basis, while the ferry port with five million passengers a year is almost impossible to access during the hot summer months.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

July the 30th, 2022 - There are some brand new Croatian road rules in force as of today, so let's take a look into what's changing.

As Index vijesti writes, new Croatian road rules are in force today following amendments to the Law on Amendments to the Law on Road Traffic Safety, which introduces significant innovations in the legal regulations in the field of road traffic safety across the country.

It regards some comprehensive changes to the umbrella legal regulation on driving in Croatia, for which detailed preliminary analyses were made in order to improve existing practices from every perspective necessary for greater safety and more practical driving conditions, and all related professions and institutions were consulted during the drafting process as were people and road users themselves, they stated from the Ministry of the Interior (MUP).

Below are some of the most important changes to the Croatian road rules

New categories of vehicles – Personal means of transport such as electric scooters, etc

For the first time ever, the participation of electric scooters, electric unicycles, segways and the like on the country's road system has been fully and legally regulated. They have been classified into a special category of vehicles, for which a common name - a personal means of transport - was introduced.

A personal means of transport is a vehicle that isn't classified in any vehicle category in accordance with special regulations. It doesn't have a seat, and the working volume of its engine isn't greater than 25 cm³, the continuous power of the electric motor isn't stronger than 0.6 kW and when on a flat road, it doesn't develop a speed greater than 25 km/h. This of course regards self-balancing vehicles, such as unicycle with motor or electric drives, scooters with motor or electric drives, etc.).

Due to this new definition of the aforementioned means of transport and the introduction of a new term for it, other provisions of the Act relating to their safe participation in traffic have also been adjusted. The new law prescribes the right and manner of using the surfaces on which they can travel and the conditions that must be met by these vehicles and their drivers when using the roads.

Additionally, drivers of these so-called ''personal vehicles'', as well as bike riders, in accordance with the new Law, may not drive their vehicle using headphones, as this would reduce their ability to react quickly and safely drive the vehicle with their full focus. In case of a violation of the prescribed obligation, a sanction is prescribed, i.e. a fine in the amount of 300 kuna.

The new Act additionally prescribes areas where the driver is obliged to adjust the speed of their vehicle. As such, there are so-called ''other surfaces'' so that these new regulations, at least in that part, would also be applicable to new categories of vehicles, i.e. to vehicles which fall into the ''personal means of transport'' category. In addition, the new Croatian road rules allow drivers (category B) to drive motorised tricycles in Croatia, but this is subject to certain conditions.

The temporary incapacity to drive and the obligation of a doctor

The amendment to Article 233 introduces an obligation for all doctors, i.e. the doctor who examined or treated the driver or the patient's chosen doctor (GP) to warn the driver of their temporary incapacity, which cannot be longer than six months. Doctors are obliged to record the given warning in the patient's medical documentation.

After the expiration of the period of the driver's temporary incapacity, the driver will not be referred for another medical examination, and misdemeanor sanctions are prescribed for doctors who fail to notify the driver of their temporary incapacity to drive and who fail to properly record this information in the patient's medical documentation.

Sanctions are also in force for drivers who drive a vehicle on the road when they have been issued a doctor's warning about a temporary health condition which stops them from doing so.

However, it's important point out that the provisions on the temporary incapacity of the driver to drive a vehicle will come into force on the day of the adoption of amendments to the Ordinance on health examinations of drivers and candidates for drivers, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health.

A deadline has been set for the Health Minister (Vili Beros), with the prior consent of the Interior Minister (Davor Bozinovic) to harmonise the Ordinance on health examinations of drivers and candidates for drivers ("Official Gazette/Narodne Novine", no. 137/15, 132/17 and 10/20) with the provisions of this Act within 12 months from the date of entry into force of this Act.

In relation to safety and health factors, the new Croatian road rules prescribe a sanction of 300 kuna for a driver choosing to drive a vehicle without a first aid kit in it when using the road, in accordance with the rulebook (pravilnik) prescribing the technical conditions of vehicles participating in road traffic.

A corridor for the passage of emergency vehicles

Crisis situations over the last two years have shown insufficient prominence and knowledge of the necessary reactions of road users in order to allow emergency vehicles and personnel uninhibited, urgent access to incident locations as easily and quickly as possible.

Therefore, these new Croatian road rules clearly define the need for a corridor for the passage of emergency services vehicles on roads with more than two traffic lanes in the event of an incident situation. This will be done in order for drivers to acquire the understanding of the need for the move, and to alter driving culture itself in the sense of there needing to be a uniform way of ensuring a safe corridor for the passage of emergency services vehicles. The corridor defined by the Law is uniform with other member states of the European Union.

An introduction of new terms and higher fines for speeding

New terms as part of new Croatian road rules have also been defined, such as "traffic zone in a protected cultural-historical entity'', ''contact zone", "assistive pedestrian means", "rider" and "automated vehicle".

For the first time, the participation of ''riders'' in road traffic has been regulated, and a new term has been introduced that describes a fully automated vehicle, i.e. a vehicle that can move along the road without the presence of a driver (a fully automated vehicle without a steering wheel).

In this regard, a sanction has also been prescribed for drivers who use vehicles with built-in driver assistance systems (partially automated vehicles) in such a way that the vehicle steers independently, and at the same time, i.e. while driving, the drivers don't even sit in the driver's seat, which means that they aren't in the proper ''form'' to react quickly in unexpected situations or unforeseen circumstances.

In addition, these new Croatian road laws regulate the ban on parking vehicles in places intended only for the charging of electric vehicles and enable the sanctioning of negligent drivers, as well as the relocation of vehicles that don't use charging services and are parked in places intended only for charging electric vehicles.

In accordance with the examples from practice, the obligation to submit credible data about the person who was driving the vehicle at the requested time has also been changed or expanded.

Namely, according to the new Croatian road rules, the user of a vehicle is required to provide reliable information about the person who was driving the vehicle at the time of the offense at the request of a police officer or an official from a local self-government unit. Since the current amount of the fine seems to have failed to deter drivers from committing violations, the new Croatian road rules have seen an increase in the amount of the fine issued for speed violations (which is most often imposed in the event of a traffic accident) from 500 kuna to 1,000 kuna.

Other important changes

The latest amendments to the Law also clarify the provisions of the article of the Act that refer to the responsibilities of a person who has access to dual controls of a vehicle during a driving test. In addition, license plates with red and green numbers and letters have been abolished.

It has been made much easier for both legal or natural persons to carry out the work they are engaged in (the production, upgrading, servicing, transport or retail sale of vehicles), i.e. the use of portable/removable license plates is now permitted for the purposes of transporting vehicles to their place of technical inspection and vehicle registration, for which until now, the use of test license plates was prescribed.

Persons who have completed at least an undergraduate university study or an undergraduate professional study, lasting three years in the traffic department (urban), are now allowed to perform the work of vehicle technical inspection supervisor and the work of vehicle testing and documentation processing, considering the compatibility of the education programme for the mentioned professions.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

April the 29th, 2022 - Croatian roads (Hrvatske ceste) is set to get credit in the amount of 870 million kuna, and the state is the one who will guarantee it all.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic writes, several days ago, the Croatian Government approved a debt payable to Croatian roads with a state guarantee in the amount of 870 million kuna. With this massive long-term loan, the state-owned company Croatian roads will finally manage to close all of its liabilities on existing loans and secure further financing for various projects and other business plans this year.

It will settle liabilities in the amount of 66.7 million kuna on the loan provided by PBZ (Privredna banka Zagreb) and 214.4 million kuna on the loan provided by a community of banks including Erste, HPB (Hrvatska postanska banka), OTP, PBZ (Privredna banka Zagreb) and Zagrebacka banka (Zaba).

The remaining loan amount of 589 million kuna will provide liabilities for a total of sixteen different projects, the most valuable of which are the Sava bridge near Gradiska, totalling 95 million kuna, the Vukmanicki Cerovac-Mostanje and Farkasevac-Bjelovar roads, as well as the eastern bypass of Novi Marof.

For a new loan, Croatian roads received an offer from the aforementioned Erste, HPB, OTP, PBZ, RBA and Zaba banks in the public procurement procedure, at a fixed interest rate of 1.15 percentage points per year.

The term of the loan is the end of 2022, ie the current year, and the final maturity is set to take place on the twelfth anniversary of the contract being taken out. This state guarantee covers 100 percent of the loan amount to Croatian roads.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

April 5, 2022 – Minister Oleg Butković visited the Vukovar-Srijem County on Monday, where he held meetings discussing the construction of the Srijem border thoroughfare.

As Glas Slavonije writes, the project will be completed within a maximum of four years.

The Minister of the Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković paid a working visit to Vukovar-Srijem County on Monday, held a meeting in Ilok with the representatives of the County, and attended the inaugural conference of the project "Construction of the Apševac and Lipovac Thoroughfares".

This is a project by Hrvatske Ceste, which represents the first of the remaining three phases of the Srijem Border Thoroughfare construction project, and includes the construction of a road that will bypass the D57 section of the state road through the villages of Apševci and Lipovac. The grant agreement was signed in March last year, with the total eligible costs of the project amounting to 106 million kuna.

"We have secured funds for one of the most important infrastructure projects in this area, which is being implemented in phases. A few years ago, looking for an opportunity to get started, we obtained the necessary European funds and signed a contract as soon as we had building permits. Our plan is to obtain all building permits by the end of this year, and it is up to Hrvatske Ceste to speed up this process. We will ask for either European funding or as a state take charge of this and some other projects, and therefore I cannot say exactly when the Srijem Border Thoroughfare will be completed", said Butković, explaining that the duration of construction is affected by complaints and tenders, that is, something that is beyond the power of the minister, but that he will give strong support to the project as a matter of priority. He emphasized that the realization of this project involves much more than the transport infrastructure itself, given that construction is of importance for the demography as well as security of eastern Croatia, so he will try to do as much as possible during the mandate of this Government.

"We will not finish everything in two years, it is impossible, but I believe that it will be realized in four years at most. It was previously estimated that the entire project will cost one billion kuna, but we are witnessing an increase in the prices of energy and materials, which makes it difficult to calculate how much it will amount to", stated Butković.

The Vukovar-Srijem County Prefect Damir Dekanić emphasized that they discussed several strategic projects that will deal with the development of the economy and the return, i.e. the staying of the population in the Vukovar-Srijem County.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 19 Dec, 2021 - The state-run Croatian road operator Hrvatske Ceste (HC) is about to start inspecting 109 bridges throughout the country, according to a report released recently by the Večernji List daily.

The network of state roads in Croatia includes over 1,000 bridges with one or more spans with the length of five or more metres.

In 1995, when the legislation on this matter was adopted, the HC company introduced a system for the maintenance and supervision of roads and road structures.

The job of inspecting the 109 bridges is estimated at HRK 2.5 million (€333,000) without Value Added Tax.

To ensure uniformity and objectivity of the inspection, evaluations are conducted using a standardised procedure called HRMOS, based on the system used by the Danish Road Directorate.

For more on lifestyle, follow TCN's dedicated page.

For more about Croatia, CLICK HERE.

October the 18th, 2021 - With the construction of Peljesac bridge finally drawing to a close and with access roads being hurried along, questions about Croatia's most important strategic project which has united its territory have arisen. Can the bridge cope with strong bura or will it need to be closed? What if an earthquake strikes or if a large vessel runs into one of its pillars? An expert provided answers.

As Morski writes, Peljesac bridge with its elegant 2404 metres has surrounded Mali Ston Bay and finally connected Croatian territory. It blends harmoniously into the Dalmatian landscape, but also into a landscape that is not completely safe, either. The bridge is located in an area known for its very frequent seismic activity, where bura and other coastal winds are common and strong. Might a stronger earthquake bring it down, how many gusts of jugo or bura can it withstand, what if a ship crashes into it, and how will its load-bearing capacity and stability be monitored over the years to come?

The answers to these pressing questions came from Croatian roads/Hrvatske ceste, that is, directly from Goran Legac, the engineer who is leading the historic project of the road connection of southern Dalmatia with the rest of the country, as reported by tportal.

His job is to prepare the project, organise, control and supervise all of the participants and their activities and ensure that everything being done is in line with the set plans in terms of deadlines and finances. Simply put, he and his team of experts from various professions, along with the help of numerous surveillance services, are the ones ''hanging'' over the heads of the Chinese workers who are building Peljesac Bridge, the Greeks (Avax) and the Austrians (Strabag) whose task is to build all of the accompanying access roads.

''For the quality delivery of the construction work itself, the most important thing is announcing and controlling all of the technical specifications through project documentation that must be completed by the contractor. Conditionally speaking, we perform the project with the same goal, but often with a different approach. The contractor strives to optimise the project in order to earn as much as possible while achieving the required quality. The designer, on the other hand, deals with all the highest standards and norms in order to make the construction as durable as possible. And that's in the interest of the client, in this case Hrvatske ceste, because of the maintenance costs involved,'' explained Legac.

In the case of Peljesac bridge, maintenance costs will be of course by very high. In theory, these costs are calculated by dividing the value of the structure by the expected period of use.

''It's common to expect that in the projected life of a construction, let's say we're talking about a 100-or-so-year period, the construction and equipment of the bridge through regular and extraordinary maintenance will be completely repaired and then replaced. So if the construction cost two billion kuna, then at least that much more will be spent in 100 years on maintenance alone. Of course, these costs will be lower in the beginning, and will increase later in accordance with the contractor's guarantees,'' stated Legac.

What exactly has been done to make sure Peljesac bridge will withstand those 100 years, and hopefully much longer, without shortening its ''shelf life'' due to some of the natural disasters such as earthquakes or strong winds Croatia is no stranger to?

Several tectonic faultlines are located very close to the bridge...

Southern Croatia is one of the most seismic areas in the entire country. According to seismologists, the maximum intensity of earthquakes that can hit Dalmatia ranges from 6.3 to 7 degrees on the Richter scale. The fact that there are several faultlines very near to Peljesac bridge isn't particularly encouraging in this case, which is evident by looking at the scientific database of all European seismic faults.

Legac confirmed all this, but also pointed out that there is no room for fear.

''It's true that the bridge is located in a zone which has very high levels of seismic activity, with a design ground acceleration at the foundation level of 0.34 g, which is extremely strong. However, the structure is designed and constructed to withstand what earthquakes can cause without collapsing. The level of usability ensures sufficient rigidity so that the bridge can be used even after an earthquake strikes. So, Peljesac bridge can withstand even the strongest earthquakes that can be reasonably expected to strike the area,'' assured Legac.

He added huge steel pipes with a diameters of 1.8 metres and two metres, were used to base the pillars in the sea itself. Their length ranges from 36 to 130.9 metres. For comparison, the height of the Zagreb Cathedral is 108 metres. These pipes were driven down firmly into the seabed, with the 130.9-metre one being the world record holder because it is the largest ever to be driven down into one piece, as pipes of these lengths are usually put in in extensions.

In addition to being located in a highly seismic area, the location of Peljesac bridge is known for some extremely strong Dalmatian winds. Will we have the same situation as we unfortunately did with the Maslenica bridge, which closes to traffic when bura or jugo blows?

Legac assured that this will not be the case. Namely, during the design and construction, the problem of local winds was taken into account and the construction of the bridge was tested in an air tunnel, writes tportal.

''The analysis predicts wind gusts of as much as 180 kilometres per hour. From my experience, because I've lived near the bridge for about three and a half years now, in Mali Ston Bay the jugo is much more intense than the bura wind is. Along the entire length of the bridge on both sides there will be windbreaks 3.2 which are metres high. You can see similar windbreaks on the Baricevic viaduct on the highway near Sv. Rok. They are a guarantee that the traffic will run smoothly in almost all weather conditions up to a wind speed of 180 kilometres per hour,'' Legac pointed out, adding that there are windbreaks on the construction site and they are waiting for installation as well.

The pillars of Peljesac bridge can withstand the impact of a ship of 10 thousand tonnes.

In addition to natural issues such as earthquakes and wind, the design of the bridge had to take into account its navigation profile, which was insisted on by neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, and some Bosnian politicians were known for their negative stance towards the very construction of the bridge. This guarantees extra protection for both vessels and the bridge itself. But what if a large ship crashes into one of the bridge's pillars? Can he knock it down?

''There are currently no shipping lines in this area. Nonetheless, a waterway passing through the central range is envisaged. Large ships will be able to sail under the bridge. This will prevent large ships from hitting the pillars,'' Legac said.

Even if such a situation were to occur, Peljesac bridge's strong pillars are designed to withstand the impact of a vessel, with those in the middle, between which the waterway passes, being able to fully withstand the impact of a medium-sized ship of 100 metres in length and weighing up to 10,000 tonnes.

Given the strategic importance of Peljesac bridge, the project envisages the installation of equipment for its continuous monitoring. Through it, various parameters will be monitored in real time.

''Concrete isn't eternal, as some claim it to be. You have the example of the Krk bridge, which has undergone four major reconstructions in 40 years. However, Peljesac bridge is built from concrete that has the most modern additives and is much stronger class than the concrete typically used before. Chemical technology has advanced the most in the field of construction, and all of this is a guarantee that Peljesac bridge will be able to serve us for a very long time to come,'' concluded Legac.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 30th of September, 2020, the obligation of Croatian motorways (Hrvatske ceste) is to take care of the entire network of state roads, which consists of more than 7200 kilometres in total. In the last four years, they have designed more than 530 kilometres of new state roads, of which 137 kilometres are city bypasses throughout Croatia, they built 116 kilometres of new roads, and reconstructed more than 405 kilometres of existing roads. In the same period, Croatian motorways was the second largest contracting authority in the Republic of Croatia.

"I'm proud to note that we've managed to improve traffic safety in the programme period in question. Namely, in 2019, we had a 13 percent increase in traffic, and as much as 12 percent fewer accidents with deaths. We have prepared and withdrawn 100 percent of the EU funds available to us from the "Competitiveness and Cohesion" Operational Programme. It goes without saying that the Ciovo bridge, which has been talked about for more than 50 years, occupies a special place here, and we finished it despite it being an almost hopeless situation. The Nin bridges which were destroyed during the great flood of 2017, were opened this year, much to the delight of all who had the opportunity to see them.

Every project in which we solve bottlenecks, especially around Split, Vodice, Rijeka or Vinkovci, are of special importance. The crown of all these projects is the historic project of building Peljesac Bridge, which we've been dreaming about for decades, listening to stories about for years, and now we're building it thanks to European Union money. This was a period in which the work of Croatian motorways was recognised through recognitions such as the "Rexpo 2018. Best New Investment Award" for the Ciovo bridge project or the Vecernji list reader award for the construction of Peljesac bridge as an economic event in 2019. These are recognitions for all of our employees for their work,'' said Josip Skoric, President of the Management Board of Croatian motorways.

What is important to emphasise is the fact that in the last four years, Croatian motorways, in cooperation with the Croatian Government, carried out the financial and operational restructuring of society and digital transformation.

"Within the project entitled The Modernisation and Restructuring of the Road Sector (MARS), a review of the company was performed and measures and activities were defined to raise efficiency. We've set clear and measurable goals and indicators through which our managers monitor every investment and every employee, and I believe that we'll further improve our business in the coming years. Furthermore, a thorough digital transformation of the company has been initiated and largely implemented over recent years. Four key areas of transformation have been defined: project management, document management, road asset management and business information systems,'' said Skoric.

''We've made great progress in the application of the so-called BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology and methodology that we implement in all phases of the construction process - planning, design, construction and maintenance. By the end of the year, we expect the procurement and selection of a contractor for the Road Property Management System (RAMS), software that will have two key functions: a reliable and accurate data inventory easy to use for roads, buildings and other road infrastructure elements and an assessment tool which will give priority and the estimation of the costs of future periodic maintenance and remediation needs, using the latest developments in international practice. I'd also like to mention that we've published the WEB GIS portal of all public roads in the Republic of Croatia on our website,'' said Skoric, adding that the completed projects are a reminder of a successful period, perhaps a motive for launching new projects, and an idea to make greater use of the development potential of transport in the Republic of Croatia.

"We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but thanks to continuous work, state roads are becoming safer and more fluid, and by building key facilities, we're significantly raising the quality of life for people. Everything done in the previous period in terms of social development and business modernisation shows I'm right when I say that we have the necessary courage and knowledge to continue with the successful results of Croatian motorways, making maximum use of EU funds, even during the pandemic,'' concluded Skoric.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

As much as 20 percent of Croatia's GDP is made up by tourism as one of the country's strongest economic branches. Given the fact that Croatia is a destination to which many European tourists drive (with the exception of the UK and Ireland, the nationals of which tend to use air transport), Croatian motorways are usually packed at this time of year with license plates from across the continent visible across the country. Owing to the coronavirus pandemic, those same Croatian motorways have experienced expected losses.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 16th of August, 2020, Ivan Ribicic, the director of the toll collection sector at HAC, told Dnevnik N1 what the situation currently looks like on Croatian motorways, which is a state-owned company.

"HAC is operating with a deficit of 30 percent, which is 540 million kuna," stated Ivan Ribicic, but the opening of the tourist season has indeed improved revenue when compared to the way things stood earlier on in the year, he stressed. Given the fact that the ''lockdown month'' for Croatia took place back in April and that Croatia has experienced more toursim than the previously dire predictions suggested, this is logical.

"HAC is in its restructuring phase, we were well on our way to getting better. The crisis caught up with us, but thanks to banks and to our creditors, we managed to get our hands on some stand-by arrangements, so we do have room to breathe and we'll invest the money for the future. If revenues remain at this level, then we will survive,'' the Croatian motorways director explained.

Some workers at HAC have been retiring, taking severance pay along with the move, and that's how they're dealing with unfortunate redundancies, he says.

"It's good that people are using ENC devices more and more, and the campaign is contributing to that. We organised and monitored the hourly loads at Croatia's toll stations, ans so we were able to organise ourselves accordingly,'' said Ribicic.

For more on Croatian motorways and travel in the coronavirus age, follow our dedicated section.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

As Novac writes on the 26th of June, 2020, following the carrying out of the necessary public procurement procedures, the IGH Institute was awarded three new contracts with Croatian roads (Hrvatske ceste) for the construction supervision and reconstruction services of three traffic routes with a total value of around 12.3 million kuna.

This is a complete supervision over the construction of a highway of more than six kilometres in length through Karlovac in the direction of Split, which will improve traffic safety and capacity, especially during times of increased summer traffic. In addition, the new road will completely bypass Turanj, a settlement that has been extremely congested so far, and will connect to the already built Korana bridge. As already mentioned, IGH together with its partner will supervise the construction, and the value of the contracted work for the company stands at 4,606,992.00 kuna.

The second contract signed with Croatian roads is also for the complete supervision over the construction of the 3.2-kilometre-long bypass of Beli Manastir, which will better solve the need for the reduction of traffic, especially transit, through the very centre of Beli Manastir. This is extremely important because it is expected that the further construction of the Corridor Vc motorway will further emphasise transit traffic. The value of these contracted works for IGH amounts to 3,379,990.00 kuna. The deadline for completion of works is 22 months from commissioning.

Finally, the third contract with Croatian roads includes the supervision over the reconstruction of the new pavement structure of the state road between the settlements of Normanci and the Municipality of Petrijevci, with a total length of slightly more than 17 kilometres. Of particular interest in the project is the planned construction of 14 kilometres of new bike/cycling paths with the reconstruction and extension of 9 kilometres of pedestrian paths. The deadline for construction is 24 months, and IGH will conduct a complete inspection, while the value of the contracted work for the company amounts to 4,300,020.00 kuna.

In addition, they recently signed a contract for the supervision and quality control of the rehabilitation of the Krk Bridge worth a little more than 1,000,000.00 kuna.

IGH currently has around a thousand active contracts for the full range of services it offers, primarily in construction, making it a leading engineering company in the construction sector. Additionally, during the last and this year, IGH hired more than 100 new colleagues, which saw it exceed the number of 500 employees, and in the coming period it plans to hire even more manpower.

For more, follow our business page.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 17th of December, 2019, so far, five bids have arrived to Croatian Roads (Hrvatske ceste) for the construction of the state road D-403 in Rijeka, according to a report from Novi list.

Bids for the construction of the most expensive piece of road in the Republic of Croatia were opened on Monday morning by the company Croatian Roads, with the consortium consisting of Slovenia's Kolektor, GP Krk and Sarajevo's Euroasfalt, in the amount of 456.35 million kuna excluding VAT, or 570.44 million kuna with the VAT being the most financially favourable offer of all so far.

Following that comes the offer from Chinese CRBC, the company that is responsible for the construction of Pelješac bridge down in southern Dalmatia, in the amount of 586.34 million kuna with VAT, followed by an offer from the Italian consortium led by Rizzani deEcher, which would build the D-403 road for 598.38 million kuna in total.

The fourth bid to have arrived at Croatian Roads by the Austrian company Strabag comes with a price tag of 638.94 million kuna, while the most expensive offer has come from the Croatian-Turkish consortium consisting of Poduzeće za ceste (PZC) from Slavonski Brod and Yapi Merkezi, offering an amount of 718.37 million kuna, with the value added tax included, to carry out the works on the road.

The estimated value of the works in the procurement process stood at a massive 461 million kuna, excluding VAT, meaning that the only bid by the aforementioned Slovenian-Croatian-Bosnian consortium, which is even lower than that by 5 million kuna falls within the previously estimated amount, and the Chinese state owned company's offer is also close to that, but unfortunately exceeds the estimated amount by just over eight million kuna.

Make sure to follow our dedicated business page for much more on construction, doing business and tenders in Croatia.