The 2.08 billion kuna (€280.7 million) bridge – the largest infrastructure project in the country in recent years – was won by CRBC in January, which offered the lowest bid among the three offers received. The total project is estimated to be worth €420 million, excluding VAT, with 85 percent of the funding, or €357 million, provided by the European Union. It is expected to be completed around 2021.

The project aims to connect by road the southernmost part of Croatia including the city of Dubrovnik with the rest of the mainland, circumventing a short strip of coastal territory belonging to Bosnia and Herzegovina around the town of Neum. This should facilitate road traffic in the area, eliminating gridlocks due to customs and border controls.

The signing ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, and four other government ministers, the CEO of Hrvatske Ceste, Josip Skoric, and an official of the CBRC consortium, Zhang Xiaoyuan.

Prime Minister Plenkovic, speaking before the signing, said that this strategically important project would unify the country and called it a “pearl of architecture in Croatia’s infrastructure which will contribute to the country’s road network with both its looks and its function.”

“This is a project which will re-unite Croatia. It’s a project that holds a lot of strategic importance for the entire country. We are all aware how essential building this bridge is, as it will connect southern Croatia to the national highway network. This is important for everyone living in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County,” Plenkovic said, and added that the project will be an important road link year-round, not only during the summer tourist season.

Another 49.4 million kuna (€6.7 million) contract was also signed with three Croatian construction companies for the supervision of the main project’s construction.