The final decision should be known within three months.
Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure received on Monday a positive opinion of the Independent Quality Review (IQR) for the project “Road Connection with Southern Dalmatia”, which includes the Pelješac Bridge. The review concluded that the project was eligible for co-financing from EU funds up to the maximum amount of 85 percent of the total cost, announced the Ministry, reports Jutarnji List on March 21, 2017.
In the next three months, Croatia should receive the final decision of the European Commission on the financing of the Pelješac Bridge. If during that period the European Commission does not refuse financing of the project, it will be automatically considered that the project will be financed in the amount that Croatia has requested, which is also the maximum amount possible.
“This positive opinion is the penultimate step prior to final confirmation from the Commission. We will now submit the project application to the European Commission, which will be sent by the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, as the managing authority of Operational Programme Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020, which is expected to finance the project in the amount of 420.3 million euros”, said the ministry.
With the positive IQR opinion, the long procedure for such a large infrastructure project to be approved by the European Commission is coming to the end, noted the Ministry and added that, prior to this step, it was necessary to prepare extensive documentation, draft project application and receive confirmation from experts from JASPERS (Joint Assistance in Supporting Projects in European Regions).
The Pelješac Bridge and access roads, which will connect the southernmost part of Croatia with the rest of the country so that travellers no longer have to enter Bosnia and Herzegovina for a short stretch around the town of Neum, will be 32.53 kilometres long in total. The project will consist of three main parts: the Pelješac Bridge (length of 2.4 kilometres); access roads on the Pelješac peninsula: (length of 12.04 kilometres); and bypass road around Ston (length of 18.09 kilometres).
