The Ivan tunnel, the central point connecting the section of the M17 main road Tarcin – Konjic, should be completed by the end of summer this year. 150 people at any given time worked on breaking the double-tube tunnel. The project worth 67.5 million euros will significantly shorten the journey from Sarajevo to Herzegovina.
Work on breaking through the Ivan tunnel began in January 2021. The Government of FBiH and Public Enterprise Autoceste are working to speed up the execution of works on this corridor, and are trying to overcome the problems caused by the global crisis.
The contractor for this subdivision is the company Euroasfalt Sarajevo, and the supervision of the construction is carried out by a company from Italy.
“Despite all the problems that happened on this project, we made good progress and we are very satisfied with the supervision and the contractor,” said Armir Šahur, engineer of IDR Engineering.
Minela Bašić is the chief engineer for quantities and planning on the Ivan tunnel project: “During the construction of the tunnel, we encountered collapses, leaks, and material changes. At one point we had material that needed blasting, and then very soft soil that needed excavation in half-meter increments. We managed to overcome all that, together with the contractor, and build a very good tunnel”.
The second pipe of the Ivan tunnel, 1,721 meters long, was broken through three weeks ahead of schedule. It worked 24 hours a day in three shifts. It is also one of the last steps towards the completion of this important infrastructure project.
“We organized ourselves, so that we worked continuously during the entire period of 24 hours. On average, the daily engagement of workers was 30 to 40. However, now that the final works have come into question, that number has increased considerably”, says Ejub Balc, chief civil engineer at the Ivan tunnel.
Numerous misfortunes, however, were not the reason for the cessation of work on the Ivan tunnel construction section of the M17 highway. Although the completion of the works is announced for the end of this month, the authorities ask citizens for patience. The tunnel will be opened in mid-September at the latest.
Photo: illustration
