October 3, 2019 – The well-known Omis tunnel, which has been a hot topic among everyone from locals to drivers in Dalmatia and even international media for years, could finally see the light.
“The works should start in the next month to a month and a half, and the estimated duration of these works is somewhere between two and a half, up to three years, so we expect that everything will be done within that period,” said the mayor of Omis, Ivo Tomasovic for Dalmacija Danas.
The bridge over the Cetina river, tunnel, and connecting roads are part of the Omis bypass project foreseen to reduce the unbearable traffic jams and chaos that prevails at the entrance to Omis every summer.
“After a long time, we managed to revive this project in some way. Speaking from a traffic point of view, we can say that this is one of the most significant projects,” says Josip Skoric, CEO of Croatian Roads.
It is a project that has been spoken about for years but has never seen the green light for construction. The state road that runs through the city center is one of the busiest in the country. At least 50,000 vehicles pass through it daily.
The inhabitants of Omis were asked just how much this affects their lives.
“The crowds are, say, a couple of kilometers long; it is chaotic, and drivers are on their last nerves,” said Marko.
“It’s a disaster, the temperature is 37, 38 degrees, and the line of traffic is 7 to 10 kilometers. I come to Omis from Dugi Rat, and I have to travel for an hour and a half, sometimes even two hours,” explained Josip.
However, the people of Omis could hardly believe that constructing a bypass would bring salvation from the crowds and ultimately relieve traffic. Another resident said he isn’t convinced the traffic would come to an end: “A bypass? I think I won’t live to see the day it begins.”
“I’ve been waiting 30 years for a bypass. Hopefully, now that the tunnel has been made, it will encourage someone to remember that it must be done – because this is awful,” said Zlatko.
Split-Dalmatia County prefect Blazenko Boban says he understands the criticism.
“I understand the citizens, but I will say it at last. All of the stakeholders and I must continue with persistence to finally bring the infrastructure of Split and the Split agglomeration to a decent level,” he concluded.
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