ZAGREB, 26 July 2022 - Slovenian engineer Marjan Pipenbaher, who designed Pelješac Bridge in southern Croatia, said ahead of the bridge's opening on Tuesday that this was the biggest challenge in his career, which includes more than 200 similar projects.

"Pelješac Bridge is among Europe's five largest bridges spanning sea bays that have been built in this century and ranks among the world's finest," Pipenbaher told Slovenian Radio, adding that it was a challenge to design it because it is situated in a wind-swept and earthquake-prone area.

He said that the bridge is important not only for Croatia, because it connects its southernmost part with the rest of the country, but also for Europe at large. "After all, it is one of the conditions for Croatia to join the Schengen area."

Pelješac Bridge was built by China Road and Bridge Corporation, and Pipenbaher said that no one was killed during the construction. "There were only two fairly serious accidents, which should also be noted."

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