March the 11th, 2023 - When it comes to Croatian bridges, it isn't just Peljesac bridge that is getting the glory. The Cetina bridge, which will finally relieve seriously irritating traffic issues in and around the Omis area, is now finally connected. 

As Mladen Miletic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the much talked about Cetina bridge over the Cetina river canyon in Omis in Central Dalmatia was finally connected on Thursday, and it is expected that cars will be allowed to drive along it this autumn.

The brand new Cetina bridge spans 224.45 metres and is part of the wider Omis bypass construction project which seeks to help this area, known for its traffic jams and congestion issues, to relieve itself of those burdens.

It sits over the Cetina river and is held up with a steel arch, the ends of which are secured in tunnels on both sides of the bridge, meaning that its actual length is greater than the visible structure.

The value of the works on the Cetina bridge stood at around 23.16 million (without the inclusion of VAT), and this much needed project will contribute to the traffic relief of the town centre of Omis, the immediate surrounding areas and reduce overall congestion issues. The works on the new Cetina bridge were carried out by Strabag, and the designer was Veljko Prpic from the Engineering Project Institute.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at the merger ceremony that the merger of the Cetina bridge "is a good thing for Omis, Dalmatia and Split-Dalmatia County as a whole".

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March 5, 2023 - Good news for traffic in Omis - the bridge over the Cetina is finally connected.

It has been a good 12 months for bridge enthusiasts in Dalmatia.

Firstly, the opening of the much-anticipated Peljesac Bridge connecting the mainland to the Peljesac Peninsula, thereby bypassing the need to transit Bosnia and Hercegovina on the way from Split to Dubrovnik. The Chinese-made bridge has been a big initial success. 

And now, another milestone, and there can't be many better examples of a bridge with a view than the recently connected bridge over the River Cetina.

The Omis bypass road project will alleviate the considerable traffic problems along the coastal road from Split to Omis. It includes the construction of the Stobrec, Dugi Rat, Omi's fast road, as well as this 216-metre bridge connecting two tunnels.

The bypass is expected to be fully open by the end of 2025, and it will make a considerable difference to the traffic flow, particularly in Omis, which is a bottleneck in the season.  

January 7, 2023 - After the magnificent feat of modern infrastructure that is the Peljesac bridge, Croatia is soon to join another two pieces of its land with a new impressive, incredibly complex construction, the Omis Bridge, hanging 70 metres above this beautiful karst river Cetina.

As Slobodna Dalmacija writes, at the end of January, we will witness the historic joining of the most impressive bridge over the Cetina river; at 70 metres above sea level, the two ends of the bridge that now "stick out" from the gorge. It will connect the portals of the access tunnels "Omis" and "Komorjak."

The last "push" of the bridge section, 12 metres long, is still missing. The section will complete the crossing over the canyon of the karst beauty above Omis, in a visible length of 152 meters, while 30 meters of supports on both sides are "hidden" in the tunnels.

"On the Cetina bridge, there is only one section left of about 12 metres. The last push is expected at the end of January", Hrvatske Ceste (HC) revealed. They are the investor for the Omis bypass, as part of which the bridge is being built, all so that soon we can finally utilise the long-awaited fast, modern road Split-Omis.

Slobodna Dalmacija was curious and asked the investors why the parts of the bridge are not at the same height, because the difference of almost two metres between the eastern and western parts is visible to the naked eye, even from a greater distance.

"It is true that the currently constructed parts of the Omis bridge are not at the same height. Due to the variable height of the cross-section of the bridge, the structure also moves vertically during each push.

After the final phase, both sides will be at the same height so that they can be connected and the entire structure can finally be fixed on the bearings," Hrvatske Ceste specified.

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April the 29th, 2022 - The upcoming Omis bridge, which will cross over the Cetina river below it, should be completed by the end of this year. The move comes as part of a huge Split-Dalmatia County project and will be of enormous significance to local residents and visitors to this part of Central Dalmatia alike.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, by the end of this year, the Omis bridge which will cross over the Cetina river will be connected along the future Omis bypass, a project worth a total of 180 million kuna. By the spring of next year, that 3.5-kilometre section will be entirely completed. The Omis bridge or bypass is otherwise one of the largest infrastructure facilities in Split-Dalmatia County to date.

The Omis bridge includes two tunnels and a bridge over the Cetina river running below it, the Komorjak tunnel, which will be more than 600 metres long, and the one of Omis, which will be more than 500 metres in length, while the bridge itself will be 216 meters long.

By the year 2025, the entire section from Omis to Split will be completely constructed in different phases, and everything will be financed via non-refundable funds, the Croatian Government recently announced.

By the end of this year, a tender will be announced for the continuation of that road towards Dugi Rat, a primarily residential settlement close to Omis.

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