Work on the construction of the Hranjen tunnel as part of the future Goražde-Sarajevo expressway continues, and work is still being done on breaking through the tunnel, the primary substructure and part of the secondary lining of the tunnel, confirmed JP Autoceste FBiH, which is an investor in this project.
They emphasize that even with the current contract, the project will not be completed and that it will be necessary to secure additional financial resources.
When it comes to the dynamics of the works, Autocest FBiH stated that they are taking place in accordance with the available financial resources that were previously provided periodically by the Government of FBiH.
“Currently, the construction contract is being implemented, within the framework of which work is being carried out on tunnel boring, primary substructure and part of the secondary lining of the tunnel with lateral drainage and waterproofing. The work started on August 26, 2024, and by the end of April 2026, approximately 65 percent of the excavation of the main and service tunnel pipes has been carried out, while approximately 40 percent of the secondary lining, waterproofing and waterproofing have been carried out on the main tunnel pipe side drainages”, specified from Autoceste.
They reminded that the originally provided funds were not even sufficient for the realization of the complete first phase of the works, which is why JP Autoceste FBiH and the Government of the Federation of BiH announced new tenders and concluded new contracts for the scope of works for which financial resources were provided at that time.
They emphasized that the final value of the project will be more precisely defined only after contracting and completion of the remaining scope of work, since it directly depends on the final technical solutions, actual geological conditions and the scope of additional works that will be necessary for a fully functional and safe tunnel.
As they stated, even the current contract does not cover the complete completion of the tunnel. They explained that it provided funds for the completion of the tunnel excavation, construction of the primary substructure and partial construction of lateral drainage, waterproofing and secondary lining.
“The remaining works include the completion of lateral drainage, waterproofing and secondary lining, internal drainage from the carriageway, construction of the carriageway structure, installation of tunnel equipment and electro-mechanical installations have not yet been contracted”, they pointed out from this company.
They emphasized that for the full completion and opening of the Hranjen tunnel, it will be necessary to secure additional financial resources and conclude a new contract that will cover the remaining scope of work, due to significantly less favorable geological conditions than those assumed in the project, the need to carry out additional protection and stabilization measures, as well as the fact that the project is now being implemented in phases, in accordance with successively secured financial resources.
Autocest also noted that the expropriation process has not been fully completed either, and that the procedure is conducted separately for the directions from Goražde and Prača. They pointed out that on April 22 of this year, the Elaborate for the access roads was handed over to the competent department of the city of Goražde, and that the preparatory actions for the execution of this project are underway, including staking out the terrain, dividing the plots, etc.
Work on the Hranjen tunnel began in September 2019. The deadline for the completion of the works was three years, but it is still under construction. It is expected to be 5.4 kilometers long, making it the longest road tunnel in Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of the longest road tunnels in the region. Once built, the drive from Sarajevo to Goražde will take 45 minutes, Fena writes.
