July 27, 2022 - Hrvatske Ceste has sent a warning to drivers and pedestrians taking Pelješac Bridge photos from the shoulder lane.

The Pelješac Bridge is open to traffic in both directions, reports Index.hr and N1.

In an interview with N1, Slaviša Babić, head of the Hrvatske Ceste (HC) Traffic Department, says that around 1,500 vehicles had already crossed the bridge, and 500 in one hour before 9 am. According to Babić, some passengers are likely just curious and want to see the bridge. It's not too much traffic, explaining that over 15,000 vehicles drive towards Neum on the D8 state road in the summer.

"I expect about 10,000 vehicles today, but the busy weekend is ahead of us, maybe 12 to 15,000 vehicles for the weekend," Babić says.

They also sent a warning to drivers and pedestrians.

"Everything is new. People are just getting used to it, especially drivers. Some, unfortunately, also use the shoulder lane to move. I appeal to them not to use it. Some stop to take photos, and it's extremely dangerous. People use the bridge to walk. I have to say that the bridge is intended exclusively for motor vehicles, not pedestrians or cyclists," says Babić.

He also adds that part of the traffic for trucks is currently prohibited. However, all freight vehicles over 7.5 t that have deliveries to Pelješac and Korčula can travel on the bridge and access roads, but those that are only in transit cannot. Babić appealed to drivers to respect the speed limit.

Decreased traffic on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina near Neum
The head of the Metković border police station, Jurica Volarević, told N1 that the traffic through the Klek border crossing is significantly declining. "Traffic has dropped by 50 percent since the opening of the bridge. So far, about 1,200 passengers and 600 vehicles have crossed the border," says Volarević.

"Everyone knows that the bridge is open, there are signs directing traffic to the bridge, we have no questions," he says. As for trucks, he says they don't expect crowds at the border crossing. The police work as before, the traffic will undoubtedly decrease, and the border crossing will be cleared, says Volarević.

Božinović: There were up to 5,000 people at the opening of the Pelješac Bridge. Everything went without problems.
Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović said that between four and five thousand people attended the opening ceremony of the Pelješac Bridge, and not a single security problem was reported.

"About 300 police officers from all branches of the police were engaged at the opening. According to the police headquarters, between 4 and 5 thousand people attended the ceremony, and not a single security problem was reported," reported Božinović on Twitter. He praised the police and thanked the citizens.

The Pelješac Bridge, one of the largest projects in the EU and the largest in Croatia financed by the European Union, was officially opened on Tuesday evening, and regular traffic in both directions across the bridge that connects southern Croatia with the rest of the country started at midnight.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

July 27, 2022 - The Pelješac Bridge is open, but what about the Ston bypass and other access roads?

A famous proverb says, "Donkeys will not cross the bridge," but Joško Antunović's donkeys from Kuna Pelješka will cross the Pelješac Bridge. They will go to competitions and exhibitions throughout Croatia after many years since driving cattle through the Neum corridor was forbidden. Thus, donkey trips became less frequent and were made exclusively by the Ploče-Trpanj ferry. 

"We can hardly wait for this bridge; they will certainly cross it," Antunović told Jutarnji List and added: "This is the last round of hay I will drive on the Ploče-Trpanj ferry. Unfortunately, hay cannot be transported via Neum; the paperwork is complicated, so we go by ferry, but it is too expensive."

Joško Antunović and many other residents in the area are thrilled about the Pelješac Bridge, and they will be even happier when the Ston bypass and the Ston bridge are completed. Those ten kilometers will complete the road connection project in southern Croatia.

The Pelješac Bridge stole the glory from the access roads, bridges, viaducts, and tunnels on which no less significant construction works with three bridges, two viaducts, and four tunnels were carried out and are still ongoing. In addition, two viewpoints and crossings for agricultural machines for the local population were also built. Twenty-five kilometers of access roads have been completed, and another smaller section of 7.5 kilometers from Prapratno to Ston, the so-called Ston bypass, built by the Greek company Avax, remains unfinished. On the other hand, the section constructed by Strabag is nearing completion.

The endlessly long public procurement procedure, bureaucratic entanglements, and numerous appeals slowed down the access road project.

"In addition, the Brijesta junction has been completed, which includes a viaduct of some two hundred meters, where the connecting road descends to the local road in Brijesta," engineer Davor Perić explained.

On the mainland, Strabag built an underpass at the Duboka junction and an underpass on the D8, and on the peninsula, among other things, the Kamenice Tunnel, the Doli Viaduct, the Dumanja Jaruga Bridge 1, the Dumanja Jaruga Bridge 2, the Debeli Brijeg Tunnel, and the Zaradeže underpass.

According to the contract, Strabag Hrvatska is in charge of a route with a total length of more than ten kilometers, of which 1,300 meters on the mainland and 9,220 meters on Pelješac, the value of which is HRK 478.3 million.

The longest among the tunnels is the 2.4 km Debeli Brijek, which first broke ground in December 2020. However, while Strabag was successfully working on its sections, Avax ran into problems on the Ston bypass. First, there was a problem with bringing machinery and equipment from Greece, then the pandemic and labor shortage came, and then financial problems at Avax followed. So the construction of the "Prapratno" viaduct, the "Polakovica" tunnel, the "Supava" tunnel, and the "Ston" bridge, with a total value of HRK 511 million, was delayed. Still, they should be finished by the end of this calendar year.

Avax was also affected by the escalation of material prices, especially concrete and steel, which made adjusting the already agreed prices necessary. According to information from Croatian Roads, there will be no price corrections on the Pelješac Bridge because the material was purchased before inflation and disturbances in the world markets, and modifications could occur for access roads. However, such an increase should not exceed 10 to 15 percent of the currently contracted price of the works.

Until the Ston bypass is completed, heavy trucks and trucks transporting dangerous goods will not be able to travel over the Pelješac Bridge so as not to congest Ston and possibly endanger the environment. They will continue to operate the old way via Neum.

The maximum permitted driving speed on the Pelješac Bridge will be 90 kilometers per hour, which, as on the access roads, will be regulated by dynamic traffic signals, which will be managed from Zaradeže.

The Pelješac Bridge, with part of the access roads, shortens the journey from Zagreb to Dubrovnik by two hours. Kilometer-long queues and hours-long waits at the Klek and Bistrina border crossings are no more. 

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

ZAGREB, 26 July 2022  - The passage of the first cars over Pelješac Bridge on Tuesday marked the opening of this structure to traffic at a ceremony that included a firework display, torches on boats sailing near the bridge and the ringing of church bells.

After 304 years, the bridge put an end to Croatia's territorial discontinuity which was created by a 1699 peace treaty under which the Dubrovnik Republic, or the Republic of Ragusa, ceded the stretch of the coast around Neum to the Ottoman Empire.

The ceremony of its inauguration started at 2015 hours at the Komarna rest area and on that occasion a special composition by pianist Matej Mestrović was performed.

The programme also included a performance of the Anthem of Europe and Croatia's national anthem, and the screening of a video showing the construction of the bridge over the past few years.

Speeches were delivered by Croatia's top officials President Zoran Milanović, Sabor Speaker Gordan Jandroković, and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković after the Croatian road operator (HC) management board chairman, Josip Škorić, and Transport Minister Oleg Butković as well as representatives of the local authorities addressed the event.

On behalf of the European Commission, President Ursula von der Leyen and EC Vice President Dubravka Šuica addressed the ceremony, and a video message by Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang was shown.

The programme featured the sailing of traditional vessels, local "Dubrovački Trombunjeri" men clad in historical uniforms, and motorbike associations of Homeland War veterans.

The ceremony ended with a fireworks display around 10pm when two Croatian-made cars, a Nevera from Rimac Automobili and one built by Croatian racing driver Niko Pulić, drove across the bridge

Regular passenger car traffic starts on the bridge at midnight Tuesday.

ZAGREB, 26 July 2022 - The ceremony of the formal opening of Pelješac Bridge began on Tuesday evening at the Komarna rest area where numerous office-holders, guests and citizens came to attend this event.

The importance of Pelješac Bridge for Croatia is multiple. In the economic sense, it improves road connectivity with the southernmost parts of the country and thus facilitates the local economy. The improved connectivity enables better access to healthcare services and education for local residents.

The EU-funded project has enabled Croatia to restore its territorial continuity after 304 years. The territorial discontinuity was caused by a 1699 peace treaty under which the Dubrovnik Republic, or the Republic of Ragusa, ceded the stretch of the coast around Neum to the Ottoman Empire.

The bridge provides a direct road link between the southernmost part of Croatia and the rest of the country, which is currently cut off at Neum, where Bosnia and Herzegovina has access to the Adriatic Sea.

Work on the bridge officially started on 31 July 2018 and the bridge was fully joined together at a ceremony on 29 July 2021.

The entire project, including access roads, cost €525 million, of which €357 million was secured as a grant from the European Union.

ZAGREB, 26 July 2022 - Pelješac Bridge is a prominent project for promoting Chinese equipment, technology and know-how in the construction industry in Croatia and globally, and it will deepen mutually beneficial relations between China and Croatia and the EU, China's ambassador to Croatia has told Xinhua News Agency.

The project has been supported and followed with great interest and appreciation by the leaders of both China and Croatia, Qi Qianjin told Xinhua, as reported by China Daily on Tuesday.

He praised Chinese enterprises that have overcome the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and completed the project on schedule.

The diplomat called Pelješac Bridge a symbol of the fruitful cooperation between China and Croatia within the framework of a broader cooperation scheme between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (China-CEEC Cooperation). 

Qi was quoted by Xinhua as saying that the bridge, the largest infrastructure project undertaken so far by China in Croatia, was a symbol of good cooperation between China and Europe.

The project greatly contributed to economic growth in Croatia and more broadly in Europe, as it employed over 250 local people, while it also helped to cultivate engineering, technical and management skills, thus effectively driving the development of local enterprises and promoting Croatia's economic and social development, Qi said

A total of 18 design and consulting enterprises and 45 construction companies in the EU, as well as 112 global equipment and material suppliers, participated in the project, he said.

Chinese enterprises strictly followed relevant environmental protection regulations of the EU and Croatia to minimize the impact of the project on the surrounding environment, he added.

Qi said he had been aware of the worries of local oyster producers concerning the possible negative impact of the construction project on the quality and volume of oyster production at the nearby Ston Bay.

However, thanks to the highest environmental protection standards observed throughout the project, no negative impact has been observed. On the contrary, the bridge has opened up new sales routes, Qi added.

The opening of the new bridge is expected to further deepen the mutual political trust between China and Croatia, strengthen the alignment of the development strategies of the two sides, and expand cooperation in various fields such as economy and trade, Qi said.

In summary, it will take the comprehensive cooperative partnership between China and Croatia to a new level, he added.

ZAGREB, 26 July 2022 - Slovenia on Tuesday sent a letter of congratulations to Transport Minister Oleg Butković on the inauguration of Pelješac Bridge, describing it as a historic day for Croatia.

"Congratulations to Minister Oleg Butković and all in Croatia on this historic day and opening of the bridge that will make Croatia territorially whole," Infrastructure State Secretary Alenka Bratuš, said in her message on social networks.

She also welcomed the fact that the main designer of the bridge is Slovenian architect Marjan Pipenbaher.

"This has particular importance and reinforces the good-neighbourly relations and friendship between our countries," says Bartušek, a former Slovenian PM.

ZAGREB, 26 July 2022 - The European Commission on Tuesday welcomed the official opening of  Pelješac Bridge, one of the biggest projects in the EU and the biggest one in Croatia funded by the EU.

This is a Cohesion Policy-funded project with an EU contribution of €357 million. In June 2017, the Commission approved the EU financing of the bridge following a feasibility study.

Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira said the bridge "will improve the economic development and the territorial cohesion of South Dalmatia and Croatia as a whole. This is a project of great importance for both Croatia and for the EU. This bridge is a symbol of European solidarity and support to Croatia in financial and political terms. It will improve the lives of citizens on the ground and will be part of the development history of Croatia."

Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, Dubravka Šuica congratulated Croatia on "the tremendous work" done. "The EU is about building bridges, connecting territories and people. We do this metaphorically every day. Today, we are adding real bridges, real connections with the same goal: bringing people together and making our Union and member states stronger."

The new bridge will connect the southernmost part of Croatia and Dubrovnik to the rest of mainland Croatia, the Commission said.

"This bridge will significantly improve the everyday life of Croatians - by reducing the travel time between Dubrovnik and Split - and travellers in the nearby areas. A smooth flow of goods and people will facilitate access to public services, such as healthcare, and economic services in the different sub-regional centres," the Commission said.

"This seamless connection will also greatly benefit tourism, trade and will reinforce the territorial cohesion of the region," it added.

ZAGREB, 26 July 2022 - Pelješac Bridge connects Croatia territorially and symbolically, it unites and calls for the unity which led to victory in the Homeland War, the Veterans Ministry said on Tuesday, adding that veterans from every part of the country will participate in tonight's bridge inauguration ceremony.

"Therefore let's celebrate this feat, too, thinking of those who did not live to see this day, to whom we are eternally grateful for our freedom and independence," the ministry said, adding that connecting Croatia's north and south is a generational project and the inauguration of the bridge a historic event.

There would have been no Pelješac Bridge without the contribution and sacrifice of the people who defended and liberated our country, the ministry said.

"Remembering all our victories in the Homeland War ahead of Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and Veterans Day, we are proud that we can also celebrate together the successful completion of this project whereby Croatia is finally joined together," it added.

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ZAGREB, 26 July 2022 - Pelješac Bridge is already becoming a tourist attraction and is expected to further boost the demand for holiday destinations in Croatia's south, Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) Director Kristjan Staničić told Hina ahead of the bridge's opening on Tuesday.

"The bridge will certainly be a new tourist attraction, both for boaters, for whom sailing under the bridge will be a special experience, and for travellers and tourists who will be able to enjoy the magnificent view of the bridge from surrounding vantage points and roads," Staničić said, adding that the HTZ would use the bridge in its promotional campaigns.

He said it was still early to speak about the direct impact of the bridge on tourist trends and destinations in Croatia's far south, but added that the bridge would certainly reduce the dependence of the local tourist industry on air traffic.

"Although the United Kingdom and the United States are among the most important markets for Dubrovnik-Neretva County, also important are the markets of Germany, Poland, France and Slovenia, as well as the domestic market, so it is expected that Pelješac Bridge will increase the demand from these markets and contribute to the image of Croatia of a well-positioned car  destination," Staničić said.

He said that a Euronews crew had visited the bridge last week for a travel story. He noted that this leading European news channel was available to about 70 per cent of households or about 145 million people in Europe.

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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."

For more news about Croatia, click here.