Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Oleg Butkovic said after visiting the construction site of the Peljesac Bridge on Tuesday that work on the bridge was progressing well despite problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Work is underway on the bridge’s steel structure and the central pylon, Butkovic said, adding that he expected the project, including access roads, to be completed according to plan, in about a year and a half.

The contract to build the bridge connecting the southernmost Croatian peninsula of Peljesac with the mainland, worth HRK 2.08 billion (not including VAT) was signed on 23 April 2018 between the HC road operator and the Chinese consortium China Road and Bridge Corporation. 85% of the eligible costs are covered by the EU.

Roads leading to the bridge and ring roads are being built by the Austrian company Strabag and the Greek company Avax.