Acting Director of Motorways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), Denis Lasic, says that it is very important that we have the complete Corridor Vc under construction by the beginning of next year in the Federation, but he also emphasizes the importance of completing and putting into traffic the sections that are currently under construction.
”We currently have eight construction sites, or 61 kilometers under construction from Zenica north to the southern part of Zepce, and the part that includes the municipalities of Usora, Doboj south, through Tesanj, Maglaj to the northern part of Zepce. In the south of our country, an 11-kilometer highway is being built from Pocitelj to Zvirovici through Herzegovina, which includes the Pocitelj bridge. A few days ago, the Pocitelj bridge, 1 kilometer long, was fully connected. It is one of the tallest buildings in the region with pillars reaching up to 100 meters, which represents the largest bridge on Corridor Vc. The Pocitelj – Zvirovici section will be completed and put into traffic in the fall of this year, which will be connected to the previously built Zvirovici-Bijaca section, which will open 21 kilometers of the highway in Herzegovina. When it comes to the northern part of Corridor Vc, 21 kilometers will be put into traffic at the end of next year. Users will be able to drive on the highway without interruption in a length of about 120 kilometers, from Bradina at the entrance to Herzegovina to Poprikuse near Zepce, ” says Lasic in an interview for agency Fena.
When it comes to the activities planned by FBiH Motorways in the coming period, he states that first of all, it is necessary to speed up the construction of Corridor Vc through Herzegovina and undertake all activities so that by the end of this year and the beginning of next year, the complete part of Corridor Vc in the south of our country will be under construction.
This year, the construction of the Prenj tunnel, the longest tunnel on the Vc corridor, begins. Lasic points out that the Prenj tunnel is the most technically demanding and one of the most complex structures in the history of construction in BiH. It is a tunnel whose length is 10.9 kilometers and is the most demanding object on Corridor Vc, as the ninth longest road tunnel in Europe.
”With its length and complexity, the Prenj tunnel will surpass all buildings built so far in the region and beyond. At the same time, two tunnel tubes with two traffic lanes will be built, in which traffic will proceed in one direction for each direction. The construction of the tunnel will be financed from international credit funds of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) and grants from the European Union(EU). Construction of the Prenj tunnel is planned to begin this year. With the construction of the Prenj tunnel, the travel time between Sarajevo and Mostar will be shortened from the current two hours to slightly less than one hour, which ultimately leads to a shortening of the road by 31 km and significantly speeds up the transport of people, goods and services, ” Lasic told.
Thanks to the fact that the construction of Corridor Vc is financed by loans from international financial institutions, primarily the EBRD and the EIB, Public Utility MotorwaysFBiH d.o.o. Mostar has the opportunity to apply for grants from the EU. Public Utility Motorways FBiH has so far been approved over 500 million euros in EU grants for the construction of Corridor Vc through fifteen applications.
Speaking about the importance of Corridor Vc for the integration of BiH into the EU, Lasic says that BiH with the help of Corridor Vc becomes an important transit country that connects the European south-east and north, thus creating a chance for accelerated access to Western European and Euro-Atlantic integrations.
”One of the key conditions for long-term economic growth and integration into the European environment is investment in sustainable infrastructure. By connecting the north with the south of our country, we are developing potential, especially in the field of industry, agriculture and tourism. Road infrastructure is one of the main drivers of the economic and social development of any country. Every new section on Corridor Vc will influence the faster integration of BiH into the EU, ” he points out.
E.Dz.
