At the proposal of the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) has adopted a Decision to approve the acceptance of a grant from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Investment grant from the European Joint Fund Program for the Western Balkans) for the project Corridor VC, the Doboj bypass, subsection Putnikovo Brdo – Medakovo.
The grant amounts to 12.000.000 euros, and the funds are intended to finance construction works, including six bridges, a conventional tunnel, three underpasses, one overpass, two interchanges, a front toll booth, a side toll booth, and a traffic control and maintenance center.
According to the information based on which the Government made this decision, the total length of the Putnikovo Brdo – Medakovo section is about 8.5 kilometers. It is explained that the implementation of this project will significantly reduce travel time and transportation costs, and establish a direct connection to the highway on Corridor VC, i.e., traffic continuity between the main road M17 and M6 on the highway through Republika Srpska (RS), ultimately contributing to the creation of a unified traffic system in BiH.
The Government also approved yesterday a Proposal for a Decision to approve the acceptance of additional indebtedness under a loan agreement between BiH and the OPEC Fund for International Development, for the implementation of the project on Corridor VC, section Nemila – Donja Gracanica (Zenica North), subsection Vranduk – Ponirak, and forwarded it to the Parliament of the FBiH for adoption.
This concerns an amount of up to 25.000.000 euros to finance three components of the construction of this subsection. These include construction works on the Nemila – Donja Gracanica road section, with a total length of 17.6 kilometers and a designed speed of 120 km/h, financing the remaining amount of works and additional costs related to additional geotechnical investigations and works, as well as the construction of the “Zenica North” interchange with toll booths.
The relocation of local roads is included in this activity. The second component is the purchase of land, i.e., financing the acquisition of necessary land, including adequate compensation and assistance to affected landowners, in accordance with expropriation laws, and the third component consists of consulting services, including detailed design and supervision.
As emphasized, the specific objective is to improve the efficiency of road infrastructure, and particularly to connect the north of the country with its south, which will lead to shorter travel times and reduced costs, fewer traffic accidents, more employment opportunities, improved economic and gender development, increased trade and tourism activities, and reduced noise and emissions, benefiting approximately 150.000 people in the project area.
The proposed decision also provides for approval for the conclusion of a Subsidiary Agreement between BiH and the FBiH, and a Loan Subcontract between the FBiH and the Motorways of the FBiH. The funds will be transferred on a credit basis to Motorways of the FBiH d.o.o Mostar, as the ultimate beneficiary and borrower under the loan, Biznis Info writes.
E.Dz.
