May the 28th, 2024 – The 20 million euro Omiš bypass has finally been put into function, enabling an easier traffic flow for this central Dalmatian city and surrounding areas.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the four-kilometre-long Omiš bypass, with two tunnels and a bridge 70 metres above the Cetina, was officially put into function yesterday. The total value of the works amounted to more than 20 million euros.
“This ring road is worth more than 20 million euros, and it connects Omiš with the road to Split and Trogir and will contribute to the reduction of traffic jams in the wider Omiš area,” said Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković. He also announced that next week, a public tender will be announced for the construction of a 4.5 kilometre road in the direction of Dugi Rat, carrying an estimated value of 80 million euros.
The President of the Croatian Roads Administration (HC), Josip Škorić, emphasised the exceptional importance of the new Omiš bypass for traffic relief in and around Omiš.
“Omiš is a place which is under traffic pressure. 19,000 vehicles pass through the city every day in the summer months, and there are also a large number of pedestrians. The new Omiš bypass is a firm contribution to solving these traffic problems,” said Škorić, adding that this ring road is also incredibly important for the same reasons.
not everyone is happy about the Omiš bypass…
A group of residents of Tugare, a settlement in the hinterland of Omiš, protested under the newly built bridge that is part of the Omiš bypass. They did so because the problem of traffic safety in their area, which will arise from increased traffic through the opening of the bypass, hasn’t been solved.
“For six years, they have been promising us that the road in Tugare will be widened, but this hasn’t happened. Peoples’ safety is at risk because the road is too narrow for this sort of increased traffic,” warned Matko Novaković. The protesters displayed banners with messages demanding the restoration of about 5.5 kilometres of road through Tugare. Protesters warned that children who go to school on the road will be exposed to danger because there are no pavements to ensure their save passage.
Minister Butković told reporters that he had spoken with the residents of Tugare and that the Croatian Government would financially assist the County Road Administration to rebuild the necessary new road in Tugare.
Split-Dalmatia County Prefect Blaženko Boban apologised to the residents of Tugare in a statement to the press. He spoke about the delay in resolving the property-legal relations that would enable the reconstruction and expansion of the road through that settlement.
“The citizens of Tugare are completely right, perhaps we could have solved the property-legal relations needed for the road reconstruction earlier. I’d like to issue my sincere apologies to the residents of Tugare”, said Boban.
