- Paul Kirby
- BBC News
2 hours ago
image source,Getty Images
On the day of the opening of the Peljesac Bridge, many celebrations were arranged, and the fireworks display at night brought the event to a climax
After years of construction, a sea-crossing bridge linking Croatia and the southern coast has finally opened to traffic in what Croatians call one of the biggest moments in the country’s history.
Before the bridge was opened to traffic, travel from Croatia to the southern coast by land required passing through the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The 2.4-kilometer (1.5-mile) Peljesac bridge was built by China, but mainly financed by the European Union.
Many celebrations were arranged on the day the bridge was opened to traffic, with 250 runners running across the bridge and small boats flying the Croatian flag crossing under the bridge.
Nearby residents also took this opportunity to walk on the bridge to enjoy the view of the bridge, and following dark, a fireworks display was launched to bring the celebration to a climax.
A videotaped speech by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was played at the opening ceremony, where Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic also declared “Croatia is united” and said the bridge was a necessity rather than a luxury.
image source,Getty Images
A boat with the Croatian flag passes under the Peljesac bridge
At the opening ceremony, the Rimac Nevera, an electric vehicle made in Croatia, became the first vehicle to cross the bridge.
85% of the funds for the construction of the Peljesac Bridge in Croatia came from the European Union. The European Union agreed to invest 357 million euros (300 million pounds), saying that the bridge will improve the daily life of Croatians following the completion of the bridge. Funding for infrastructure.
“The Nem Corridor”
After the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, Croatia became independent in 1991, but the new borders meant that Croatia was divided into two parts, the southern coastal area and the rest of Croatia were separated by a nine-kilometer-long coastline of Bosnia and Herzegovina, known as the “Nem Corridor” (Neum corridor).
The Nem Corridor was ceded by Dubrovnik to the Ottoman Empire in 1699. Today, Nem is the only coastal city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croats must drive through Bosnia and Herzegovina. territory to travel to the southern coast.
Since Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a member of the European Union, but Croatia is a member of the European Union, travel from Dubrovnik, Croatia’s medieval city on the Adriatic coast, to Croatia in the north, or from the Peljesac peninsula to the homeland of the EU Passengers have to go through two border checks, which is very troublesome. Now that the Peljesac Bridge is open to traffic, EU passengers can drive or take a car directly to the Peljesac Bridge to travel between the two places without going through border checks.
The mayor of Nem, Dragan Jurkovic, told Bosnia and Herzegovina TV that the new bridge would ease traffic congestion on coastal roads during the summer months, and the bridge would bring benefits, but some restaurants and businesses were concerned regarding the passengers passing by following the bridge opened. A reduction would affect the local economy.
In the past, many travelers from EU countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany to Dubrovnik would pass through Nem, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the price here is much cheaper than Dubrovnik, but following the bridge opened to traffic, the The journey may change.
Bridge controversy
In addition, the construction of the bridge itself has other controversies.
Initially, Bosnia and Herzegovina said the construction of the bridge would block Nem’s access to the sea, but Croatia later agreed to raise the bridge to 55 meters above the water.
The contract to build the bridge was awarded to Road and Bridge Construction (CRBC), a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned China Communications Construction Group, which was awarded a bid for the bridge at a price well below that of European contractors, leading to a complaint from an Austrian company alleging The construction of roads and bridges is funded by the Chinese state, so it is possible to “rush for bids” at ultra-low prices.