The European Commission on Tuesday welcomed the official opening of Peljesac Bridge, one of the biggest projects in the EU and the biggest one in Croatia funded by the EU.

This is a Cohesion Policy-funded project with an EU contribution of €357 million. In June 2017, the Commission approved the EU financing of the bridge following a feasibility study.

Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira said the bridge “will improve the economic development and the territorial cohesion of South Dalmatia and Croatia as a whole. This is a project of great importance for both Croatia and for the EU. This bridge is a symbol of European solidarity and support to Croatia in financial and political terms. It will improve the lives of citizens on the ground and will be part of the development history of Croatia.”

Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, Dubravka Suica congratulated Croatia on “the tremendous work” done. “The EU is about building bridges, connecting territories and people. We do this metaphorically every day. Today, we are adding real bridges, real connections with the same goal: bringing people together and making our Union and member states stronger.”

The new bridge will connect the southernmost part of Croatia and Dubrovnik to the rest of mainland Croatia, the Commission said.

“This bridge will significantly improve the everyday life of Croatians – by reducing the travel time between Dubrovnik and Split – and travellers in the nearby areas. A smooth flow of goods and people will facilitate access to public services, such as healthcare, and economic services in the different sub-regional centres,” the Commission said.

“This seamless connection will also greatly benefit tourism, trade and will reinforce the territorial cohesion of the region,” it added.