Croatia opens controversial Peljesac Bridge

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Croatia on Tuesday officially inaugurated the Peljesac Bridge, which was built to connect its northern and southern portions separated by a narrow strip of land belonging to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and many high-ranking officials attended the ceremony.

The 2.4-kilometer (1.5-mile) long, 55-meter (180-foot) high bridge is part of a wider project called “Road Connectivity of South Dalmatia” which was prepared within Croatia’s 2014-2020 transport development strategy.

The entire project, including access roads, cost €525 million ($531 million), of which €357 million was secured as a grant from the European Union.

Croatia’s Rimac Automobili, which produces electric sports cars, drivetrains and battery systems, also presented its Rimac Nevera, an all-electric 1,914-horsepower hypercar with an expected range of 458 kilometers (285 miles) per charge. It became the first car to cross the bridge.

The Peljesac Bridge, which was built off the coast of Neum, the only coastal city in Bosnia-Herzegovina and seen as an obstacle between the southern and northern parts of Croatia, is of historical and strategic importance for Croatia.

Many Bosnian politicians have opposed the project, however, as the bridge has the potential to bottleneck the country’s only exit to the sea.

The bridge was built by China Bridge and Road Corporation.