Historically significant projects for the economic and transport revitalization of the Herzegovina region – Prenj Tunnel, Kvanj Tunnel and Mostar North - Mostar South section, which will bring a new dimension of traffic connection of this part of BiH to the international network of transport corridors, should be contracted by the end of this year, Večernji list has learned.
When added to this is the section Mostar south – tunnel Kvanj, which is also coming soon, the region of Herzegovina will either have built or in construction the entire part of the pan-European corridor that will show its value in the years to come, when, along with the political progress of BiH towards the EU, equally valuable processes of economic binding will be carried out.
Dynamics of activity
Acting Director of JP Autoceste Federacije BiH Denis Lasić in an interview for Večernji list explained the details of the planned activities for this year and next, announcing extremely valuable, and from the point of view of the profession strategically important traffic linking projects that have a clear support of international financial institutions.
He stressed that the support of the EBRD, the European Investment Bank (EIB), as well as the World Bank is clear and unquestionable, confirming that several meetings and discussions have been held in the last few days on the topic of financing and supporting further acceleration of the dynamics of corridor construction. Lasić said that the Federation Highways started with renewed energy in that direction, saying that they detected and solved certain things in the process, which could be followed by a new dynamic.
Confirming that international financial institutions are ready to monitor and support the Federation, Lasić also explained the expectations for this year.
By the end of 2023, sections Mostar north – Mostar south, Prenj tunnel, as well as Kvanj tunnel should be contracted, while in the first half of next year, the Mostar south – Kvanj tunnel section should be contracted. Lasić points out that contracting is also expected for a part of the highway from Zenica to Poprikuša, and in 2024 the goal, he stressed, is to have contracted all the remaining sections of the Vc corridor worth another billion KM.
All this fits into the set goal of completion of construction works through this entity, which will get a modern, fast and safe road connected to all major traffic corridors of the European Union. Such a thing will open up new development prospects for the local business community, as well as local self-government, municipalities and cities through which it passes.
When it comes to the works in the northern part, one should definitely refer to the largest investment contract in the last 30 years in BiH, which refers to the section of the highway on the corridor Vc Medakovo – Ozimice with a total length of 21.3 kilometers, on which Cengiz İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş is working.
It is a project that will raise the economic potentials of this part of BiH to a higher level, but also create the preconditions for connecting the northern part of the corridor. Such a thing will certainly lead to stronger traffic positioning, but also open up new perspectives of development.
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 break through a ten-kilometer-long tunnel under the mountain massif.
The tunnel is located in the central massif of mount Prenj 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 is the first such tunnel in Bosnia and Herzegovina that crosses the border of six kilometers.
When it comes to the Mostar North - Mostar South section, the project documentation shows that it will also be an extremely demanding project, and proof is the plan that includes the construction of five tunnels with a total length of about six kilometers and ten viaducts/bridges with a total length of about two kilometers.
All these important processes have the support of international financial institutions, and the new investment cycle planned this year and next will be an important part of completing the mosaic related to the infrastructure project dreamed of by generations of BiH residents.