prijava
SARAJEVO, July 25 (FENA) - Acting Director of the Motorways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Lasić, says that it is very important that we have the complete Corridor Vc under construction by the beginning of next year in the Federation of BiH but he also emphasizes the importance of completing and putting into operation the sections that are currently under construction.
"We currently have eight construction sites, or 61 kilometers under construction from the north part of Zenica to the southern part of Žepče, and the part that includes the municipalities of Usora, Doboj South, through Tešanj, Maglaj to the northern part of Žepče. In the south of the country, an 11-kilometer motorway is being built from Počitelj to Zvirovići through Herzegovina, which includes the Počitelj Bridge. The Počitelj Bridge, which is one kilometer long, was connected a few days ago. It is one of the tallest in the region with columns reaching up to 100 meters, and it represents the largest bridge on Corridor Vc. The Počitelj - Zvirovići section will be completed and put into operation in the fall of this year, which will be connected to the previously built Zvirovići-Bijača section, which will open 21 kilometers of the motorway in Herzegovina. When it comes to the northern part of Corridor Vc, 21 kilometers will be put into traffic at the end of next year. Citizens will be able to drive on the motorway without interruption for about 120 kilometers," said Lasić in an interview with FENA.
When it comes to the activities planned by FBiH Motorways in the coming period, he stated that it is necessary to speed up the construction of Corridor Vc through Herzegovina and undertake all activities so that by the end of this year and the beginning of next year, a complete part of Corridor Vc in the south of our country is under construction.
"By building a motorway through Herzegovina, BiH will be fully connected to European road corridors, to the north with Corridor X, and to the south with the A1 (Dalmatia) motorway in Croatia, which will bring direct benefits for the entire society through the development of the municipalities and cities through which it passes, and enable additional development of economic community and tourism potential. By the end of 2023, the sections Mostar North - Mostar South, the Prenj Tunnel, as well as the Kvanj Tunnel should be contracted. This year we plan to start the construction of 30 kilometers of motorway in Herzegovina. By the end of this year, it is planned to contract the remaining last section of the northern part of Corridor Vc from Maglaj to Žepče, 12 kilometers long, which will make the entire northern part of Corridor Vc under construction. In the first half of next year, the section Mostar South - Kvanj Tunnel should be contracted, which will complete the construction of the southern part of Corridor Vc. We still have to undertake activities to secure funds and call for tenders for the section from Bradina to the entrance to the Prenj Tunnel, which is currently in the phase of creating project documentation," explains Lasić.
The construction of the Prenj Tunnel, the longest tunnel on the Vc corridor, begins this year. Lasić points out that the Prenj Tunnel is technically the most demanding and one of the most complex structures in the history of construction in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a tunnel whose length is 10.9 kilometers and represents the most demanding facility on Corridor Vc, as the ninth longest road tunnel in Europe.
Thanks to the fact that the construction of Corridor Vc is financed by loans from international financial institutions, primarily the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), FBiH Motorways has the opportunity to apply for grants from the European Union. Over 500 million euros of EU grants have been approved to the FBIH Motorways for the construction of Corridor Vc through fifteen applications.
Speaking about the importance of Corridor Vc for the integration of BiH into the EU, Lasić says that Bosnia and Herzegovina with the help of Corridor Vc becomes an important transit country that connects the European south-east and north, thus creating a chance for accelerated access to Western European and Euro-Atlantic integrations.
FBiH Motorways is also in charge of the construction of expressways. Currently, works are being carried out on the construction of the Hranjen Tunnel, which is 5.5 kilometers long, and more than 50 percent of the tunnel has been broken through so far. Works are also being carried out on the construction of the expressway Lot 5 - Vitez interchange, exit from the business zone - Nević Polje interchange, which will be completed by April next year. Both projects are financed with funds from the Budget of the FBiH Government.
In the coming period, work will continue on the last section of the Sarajevo bypass LOT 3B. We are working intensively on activities aimed at realizing the demands of local communities and obtaining the necessary permits. After getting the necessary permits, the construction of LOT 3B will continue immediately and it will take six months to complete all the works.
From June 19 of this year, the connection of electronic toll collection between FBiH Motorways and RS Motorways was implemented based on the signed Memorandum of Cooperation. Users are enabled to pass through toll booths in the entire territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, without stopping, paying contactless tolls using their TAG device.
"It is expected that with a unique charging system, traffic safety will increase, which is one of the primary goals, while at the same time reducing congestion on the motorways. We are planning to expand the project to the countries of the region, and we have also signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Croatian Motorways. The connection of electronic toll collection with Croatian Motorways was agreed upon. We are currently carrying out activities related to device testing to achieve compatibility so that the system will soon be active for users," says Lasić.
Acting Director of FBiH Motorways, Denis Lasić, emphasized in an interview with FENA that this public company invests significant funds in the development of local communities in the parts through which Corridor Vc passes.
"The long-standing practice of FBiH Motorways in the entire territory of the Federation, where Corridor Vc is being built, is to invest in the local community through motorway construction projects. Projects related to the construction and reconstruction of local roads and the construction and reconstruction of communal infrastructure of local communities are realized as part of the agreement on the implementation of projects from the friendly environment program during the implementation of activities on the design and construction of certain sections of the motorway on Corridor Vc. With these agreements and investments in the local community, we are trying to enable the construction of the motorway to improve the quality of life of the local communities through which Corridor Vc passes. As a socially responsible company, we are aware that dialogue with the local community in which we operate is of key importance to achieve a mutual understanding of what we all strive for," concluded Denis Lasić in an interview with FENA.
(FENA) A. B.
