WHEN WILL THE NEW BRIDGE OVER THE SAVA RIVER NEAR GRADIŠKA OPEN?

The construction of the border crossing on the Croatian side near the newly built bridge over the Sava River is progressing according to plan. According to information from the relevant authorities, the project is expected to be completed in May of this year.

PHOTO: Micro Mreža

The Ministry of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) confirmed this to Glas Srpske, reminding that the interstate bridge over the Sava near Gradiška was completed on June 30, 2022.

Afterward, the Croatian Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction, and State Property, with prior consent from the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction, and Ecology of Republika Srpska, issued an operational permit for the bridge and access roads in BiH and Croatia in late December 2022.

However, the Ministry of Communications and Transport noted that the newly constructed bridge and the connecting border sections of the E-661 interstate road are not yet operational due to ongoing works on the second and third phases of the road construction towards Okučani, as well as the construction of the new border crossing on the Croatian side.

Given that the opening of the bridge depends on conditions that Croatia must meet (connecting the bridge to the road towards Okučani), the Ministry of Communications and Transport of BiH has reached out through diplomatic channels to the relevant ministries in Croatia, including the Ministry of the Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure, as well as the Ministry of Finance.

“We have requested information on the planned timeline for the completion of works on the Okučani road section and the construction of the border crossing. The responses we received from the Croatian Ministry of Finance confirm that the works on the new border crossing are proceeding according to the contractual timeline, with the planned completion set for May 2025,” emphasized the Ministry of Communications and Transport.

According to insiders, once the access road to Okučani and the border crossing are completed, the relevant authorities on both sides of the border will need to initiate the process for categorizing the crossing and making a decision about its operation.

“For BiH, the decision should be made by the Council of Ministers, and the proposer should be the Ministry of Security of BiH. Only then can the bridge be put into operation. This initiative could have already been initiated. It is an interstate matter, and there are questions regarding how it will proceed. Croatia's interest is to delay the opening of the border crossing in order to keep traffic flowing through Svilaj and other crossings, while increasing congestion at the old crossing in Gradiška, which would indirectly direct traffic to Svilaj,” a source told Glas Srpske.

The construction project for the bridge over the Sava, along with the access roads, is valued at 64 million euros, with the bridge itself costing 23.2 million euros. Once operational, the bridge will connect the Banja Luka - Gradiška highway with the Zagreb - Belgrade highway, while Gradiška will finally ease its traffic congestion, as the current crossing over the Sava is located in the city's center.