A long-awaited bridge connecting two parts of the Adriatic coast in Croatia officially opened on Tuesday, in a day hailed as a “historic day” for generations of people.
The 2.4 km (1.5 mi) long structure connects the mainland to the Peljesac peninsula to the south, allowing easy access to Dubrovnik, the country’s biggest tourist attraction.
The two parts of Croatia’s Adriatic coast were divided by a narrow strip of Bosnia when the Yugoslav Federation broke up in the early 1990s.
Until then, it had no internal borders between the six republics, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia.
But the split has forced residents and tourists to pass border checks, slowed traffic and isolated people in southern Croatia from the rest of the country – including Dubrovnik, located within Unesco protected heritage list.
Now the bridge will cross a small part of Bosnian territory.
Hundreds of people flocked to be among the first to walk across the bridge after it was officially opened to traffic, initially for pedestrians and then for motorcyclists.
The opening ceremony was described as a “historic day that many generations have been waiting for” on state television channel HRT.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said: “This is a big day for Croatia. Let’s enjoy today!”
The cable-stayed bridge, which has six pylons, became a reality in 2017 when the EU earmarked 357 million euros (£300 million) on the project, at a total cost of 526 million euros (£444 million).
It was built by China Road and Bridge Corporation, which won an international bid in 2018, despite concerns about Beijing’s efforts to increase its economic influence through investment in infrastructure. floor.
However, the bridge has drawn criticism from Bosnian officials over apparently unresolved border issues and concerns it could impede access to their part of the coast.
Photo of Peljeac Bridge under construction last June Photo: AP
Tourism is important to Croatia’s economy, which remains one of the weakest in the EU.
The country is ready to tackle the final obstacles to the adoption of the europaving the way for becoming the 20th member of the eurozone from January next year.
If successful, it means that any of the 340 million euro zone residents visiting Croatia will no longer need to exchange their cash for Croatian kuna.
