BiH completes largest ever infrastructure project

Financed with a EUR 5mn EU grant and a EUR 100mn loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB), the nearly 1km-long Hercegovina Bridge on Corridor Vc (a.k.a. E73) opened on Wednesday, 4 September.

The new bridge represents Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) largest infrastructure project and forms part of the 21km Pocitelj-Bijaca road section in south-west BiH. The Pocitelj-Zvirovici stretch also includes 11km of motorway, tollbooths and access roads at Pocitelj, an interregional junction, three viaducts and a tunnel. 

BiH Prime Minister Nermin Niksic wrote on Facebook that the bridge is a “symbolic indicator that BiH is a modern European country. Motorways are the bloodstream of every state, a key integration factor for society. Their significance for the connectivity and economic development of the region is immeasurable.

“By building motorways, as a priority strategic designation, the Government of the Federation connects and imports even the furthest parts of BiH from the interior, but also with our closest neighbours, the EU. By building a section through BIH, we are getting involved in European communication, economic and wider social streams,” Niksic added.

EU, EIB underline importance of new link

The EIB said in a statement that it welcomes a “significant infrastructural achievement for BiH and the region – an impressive 1km-long Herzegovina Bridge across the Neretva River, along with the entire Pocitelj-Zvirovici subsection,” adding that the opening of the “major transportation link on CorridorVc will improve connectivity, traffic safety and economic relations in the WesternBalkans and beyond”.

Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation in BiH Stefano Ellero said the “bridge symbolises the power of connection, linking two sides of the Neretva River, uniting communities and countries (and) will enable faster and safer travel for people and goods, boosting business, tourism and regional development.

“Furthermore (along) with the Corridor Vc motorway, it will strengthen BiH’s ties with the EU and the region and deepen economic integration,” he said.

‘Bosnia’s spine’ part of wider network

The road also serves as the Pan-European Corridor Vc, a branch of the fifth Pan-European corridor. The corridor’s longest stretch is in BiH and has been referred to as “Bosnia’s spine”. The E73 also connects east and south Croatia.  

The E73 is part of the UN International e-road network, connecting Hungary and east Croatia to BiH and the Adriatic Sea. The 679km long Corridor Vc starts in Budapest, runs to Osijek, north Croatia, and then through BiH via Doboj, Zenica, Sarajevo and Mostar, ending in the Croatian port of Ploce.

The EU has so far provided EUR 871mn in grants under the Western Balkans Investment Fund (WBIF), for projects including the construction of 17 subsections across BiH.