Historically significant projects for the economic and traffic revitalization of the Herzegovina region – the Prenj tunnel, the Kvanj tunnel, and the section Mostar north – Mostar south, which will bring a new dimension to the traffic connection of this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to the international network of traffic corridors, should be contracted by the end of this year.
The dynamics of the activities
Acting director of the Public Company Motorways of the Federation of BiH (FBiH) Denis Lasic, explained in an interview the details of the planned activities for this year and next year, announcing extremely valuable and strategically important road connectivity projects that have the clear support of international financial institutions.
He emphasized that the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), as well as the World Bank (WB) is clear and unquestionable, confirming that several meetings and discussions have been held in the last few days on the subject of financing and support for further accelerating the dynamics of corridor construction. Lasic said that the Motorways of the FBiH started with renewed energy in that direction, saying that they detected and solved certain things in that process, after which a new dynamic could follow.
Confirming that international financial institutions are ready to follow and support the FBiH, Lasic also explained the expectations for this year.
And those expectations are: – By the end of 2023, the sections Mostar North – Mostar South, the Prenj tunnel, as well as the Kvanj tunnel should be contracted, while the section Mostar South – Kvanj tunnel should also be contracted in the first half of next year. Lasic points out that contracting for the section of the highway from Zenica to Poprikuse is also expected, and in 2024, the goal, he emphasized, is to have contracted all the remaining sections of the Vc corridor worth one billion BAM.
All of this fits into the set goal of completing the construction works through this entity, which will get one modern, fast, and safe road connected to all the most important traffic corridors of the European Union (EU). This will open up new development perspectives for the local business community, as well as for the local self-government, municipalities, and cities it passes through.
Technical characteristics
In the context of the southern part of the corridor that passes through Herzegovina, the Prenj tunnel will certainly be the most demanding project in the context of the profession, which is not surprising given the geographical configuration of the terrain, as well as the fact that the machines will cut a ten-kilometer long tunnel under the mountain massif.
The tunnel is located in the central massif of the Prenj mountain and with a length of 10.45 kilometers (with all accesses about 12 kilometers), it will be the ninth longest road tunnel in Europe, and the first such tunnel in BiH that exceeds the six-kilometer limit, Biznis Info reports.
E.Dz.
