Gaženica Port in Zadar will soon get a new passenger terminal.
President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović attended on Monday a ceremony marking the beginning of the construction of a new terminal building of the Gaženica Port in Zadar, reports tportal.hr on August 29, 2016.
“For years, I have been hearing stories about Gaženica and the development of this port. I admire the enthusiasm of the leaders of the town of Zadar and the Port Authority because, despite all the political obstacles they encountered, they have persevered and believed in this project. I would like to thank the government as well for finally recognizing the value of this project”, said the President.
She added that Gaženica has relieved the city centre, allowed for its ecological and cultural protection, and laid the foundation for increasing the number of ferries and cruise ships, which this year was 70 percent higher than last year. “I believe in the Croatian tourism and I think that the number of such vessels will be even higher, especially when we fulfil logistical requirements”, she said.
According to the President, the development of Gaženica and the construction of the terminal will not bring just the development of tourism, but also the creation of new jobs, because the port is associated with many economic activities. “This project will give momentum to other projects in the development of Zadar and Zadar County. Zadar will no longer just be a town half way between Dubrovnik and Venice, but will have a port that will have increasing importance”, said the President.
The third and final phase of the Gaženica project includes the construction of a terminal building with the area of 24,537 square metres, with all necessary infrastructure, parking lots and landscaping. The estimated deadline for completion of works is 14 months, or the beginning of 2018. The total value of the third phase is 25 million euros, and the funds have been secured through a loan by German KfW-Development Bank.
During 2014, works on the port infrastructure have been completed, while by June 2015 all steel structures on the ramps have been installed, enabling the smooth arrival of ferries and loading and unloading of vehicles. In March, all conditions have been fulfilled for the new Port Gaženica to take over ferry traffic from the Zadar town port. After the completion of the construction of the border crossing in June 2015, the Gaženica Port has been turned into an international ferry port as well.
