The construction of a glass platform, known as the Biokovo skywalk located over the edge of the imposing mountain began back in autumn of this year, marking the creation of a rather incredible structure over Makarska indeed.
As Slobodna Dalmacija writes on the 19th of December, 2019, the Biokovo skywalk is actually an arch of sorts that will be covered with glass, it is located twelve metres from the edge of a 1228 metre-high cliff, and is the only one of its kind in all of the Republic of Croatia, according to a report from Jutarnji list.
As was initially written last year, the so-called skywalk, a pedestrian-biking trail along the gigantic Biokovo, will set up infopoints and panoramic telescopes, refurbish and construct pleasant rest areas, playgrounds and a visitor centre, and also improve overall transportation. The project is scheduled to be completed and ready for visitors in 2021, with a total value of 34.2 million kuna.
The Biokovo skywalk is a horseshoe shaped walkway with a guardrail and floor made entirely of glass. The walkway will be formed on the reliance of multi-layer safety glass on the steel structure, and the entire platform will ”stick out” over the edge of the cliff and, in addition to opening the already stunning view to the Adriatic sea, it will also enable the experience of taking in Biokovo’s sheer size and beauty from a bird’s eye view.
Within this part of the Biokovo skywalk project, which will be in the zone of the visitor infrastructure of Ravna Vlaška, the construction of a geological pillar with special infoblocks is envisaged. It is a three-dimensional representation of the cross-section of geological periods and the geological origin of Dalmatia’s glorious Biokovo Nature Park, which will be made according to the inputs of the park’s expert service.
The total cost of the construction of the vantage point and the geological pillar as well as its accompanying surveillance stands at slightly more than 8 million kuna in total, and its construction should take around ten months, as is currently predicted.
The visitor’s centre of the Biokovo skywalk will also have an educational function and it will be located in the Župa Visitor Centre in the nearby Zagvozd municipality, which will be more specifically located in the old elementary school building. It will be a reception and interpretation-educational site for visitors to northern Biokovo, namely Zabiokovlje, which presents and interprets the geology, geographical features, flora, fauna and even the old mythology of this rich area.
The visitor centre will have the most spent on it, a massive 10.6 million kuna in total, and its construction could take as long as two years as is currently foreseen.
In addition to the old school which will be put back into good use, Rodićeva cesta (road) is also currently in dire condition, so that will also be arranged as a walking and cycling trail for nature lovers to use and enjoy, and even professional athletes will also be able to use it for training and fitness purposes. Four sites at which visitors can relax will be erected next to it, with the cost of this phase of the project amounting to 2.8 million kuna in total.
Rest areas will be set up along the entire Biokovo road (Biokovska cesta), and in addition to them, there will be so-called picnic areas with tables, booths, children’s parks, outdoor school-oriented areas, panoramic telescopes, infopoints, 35 signal panels (three of which will be for the blind) and Bigbelly and Smartbelly smart waste bins (for mixed waste disposal and for the proper disposal of bottles and cans) that have a built-in compaction press and announce when they are full or when emptying is required via a built-in Wi-Fi system.
Two specialised shuttle buses will be acquired within the scope of the Biokovo skywalk project, along with 15 regular bikes and 15 electric bikes with GPS trackers and a charger for electric cars. In addition, the construction of the Makarska – Biokovo cable car is also planned.
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