“Four construction sites, four distinct engineering challenges, yet one shared outcome”—this is how Asmir Dževlan, Executive Director of JP Autoceste Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine (Public Enterprise Motorways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina), summarized this section of the motorway at today’s ceremony marking the completion of construction on the Zenica North – Golubinja (near Žepče) section.
The road section, which connects the City of Zenica and the Municipality of Žepče (specifically the Golubinja area), spans approximately 20 kilometers and comprises four subsections. Its completion brings the total constructed length of Corridor Vc to 125 kilometers.
To illustrate the complexity of the project, Dževlan highlighted the Poprikuše – Nemila subsection, which stretches for approximately 5.5 kilometers.
“This section is dominated by the ‘Bosna’ tunnel—stretching about 3.6 kilometers—which stands as one of the most significant tunnel structures on Corridor Vc. Also constructed along this stretch are the ‘Golubinja 1’ and ‘Bosna’ bridges, the ‘Golubinja 2’ and ‘Kovanići’ viaducts, as well as the associated transport infrastructure,” Dževlan stated.
The other three subsections—Nemila – Vranduk, Vranduk – Ponirak, and Ponirak – Donja Vraca—were equally demanding; consequently, the construction of this entire section posed a major engineering challenge due to the complex terrain and the intricate nature of the work required. On the 5.6 km-long Nemila – Vranduk section, it was necessary to coordinate the construction of the motorway with the existing M-17 main road, build an entirely new M-17 main road, and carry out complex realignments of existing roadways.
“This involved constructing retaining structures alongside high cut slopes, building the 1.5 km-long ‘Stara stanica’ tunnel, and regulating the riverbed of the Bosna River. All work took place within a narrow valley, constrained by the Bosna River on one side and the railway line on the other,” noted Dževlan.
The 5.3 km-long Vranduk – Ponirak subsection is one of the most technically and structurally demanding sections, built on extremely steep slopes.
“Bridges and the ‘Vranduk 1’ and ‘Vranduk 2’ viaducts were constructed, along with the ‘Vranduk’ tunnel and a series of additional viaducts, retaining structures, and reinforced-soil embankments. Here, we had to overcome terrain that allowed absolutely no room for even the slightest engineering error,” said Dževlan.
The “Zenica” tunnel is the primary structure of the fourth subsection—the 3.3 km-long Ponirak – Donja Vraca section—and was built beneath Mount “Vepar” under exceptionally complex geological and geotechnical conditions.
“These are four extremely demanding subsections of Corridor Vc. Across them, we constructed approximately nine kilometers of tunnels, six kilometers of bridges and viaducts, and only five kilometers of open-route alignment,” said Dževlan.
The quantities of material excavated and incorporated into this 20-kilometer section are truly impressive, he added. A total of 5.1 million cubic meters of material were excavated, 2.78 million cubic meters were used for embankments, and 665,000 cubic meters of concrete along with 62,250 tons of reinforcing steel were installed. Furthermore, the project involved 64,120 meters of reinforced concrete piles, 465,000 meters of geotechnical anchors for slope stabilization, and 1.57 million meters of tunnel anchors.
“While these structures are all impressive, I want us to talk today about what cannot be seen in the photographs—about the sleepless nights, the thousands of decisions made on the construction sites, the problems that demanded urgent solutions, and the days when tough choices had to be made, responsibility taken, and the work pushed forward. In this regard, I would like to specifically highlight the engineers from JP Autoceste FBiH; rather than seeking excuses, they offered and found solutions. Consequently, this section also bears their ‘professional signature,'” said Dževlan.
He also touched upon the numerous challenges—specifically the “decisions made off-site”—as well as the relationships with international financial institutions, most notably the European Investment Bank. “The European Investment Bank is an important partner for Corridor Vc, and we respect that fact. We respect financial oversight and the right to investigate any concerns. When funding is halted or delayed, the consequences do not remain merely on paper; they reach the construction sites, the contractors, and the workers—affecting domestic companies and the citizens of BiH. That is why I want to send a clear message today: a European partnership must entail responsibility toward the projects we co-finance. Legal certainty, proportionality, and predictability are not obstacles to European standards—they are European standards. We are not asking for privileges; we are asking for respect for contracts, facts, and our shared interest—which includes the completion of Corridor Vc,” stated Dževlan, Fena writes.
