December the 31st, 2024 – It isn’t quite Pelješac, but another Croatian bridge, this time over the Sava river, is on the horizon. It seems that there’s a need for many, many more nationwide.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, an alternative route to get across the mighty Sava river was needed following subsidence on the bridge back in 2021. Then, all traffic in the north direction flowed along one single lane, which indicated the need for something new. The currently planned Croatian bridge across the Sava would drastically shorten the distance between the towns of Zaprešić and Samobor, both close to the capital.
“These two areas on either side of the Sava are connected partly by work, and partly by families and friends. The Sava both connects and separates us. It’s also the closest route to the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana and that part of Europe,” Željko Turk, the mayor of Zaprešić, said in conversation with HRT.
An environmental impact study has already been conducted, the results of which are expected in January.
“In the spring of 2025, we can expect the issuance of a location permit. Following the development of the main project, which actually follows the parcelling study and the expropriation process of the plots along our route, we can expect construction permits by the end of 2025,” revealed Tomislav Landeka, director of the Zagreb County Road Administration.
While on the Zaprešić side of the Sava, the route of the access road passes through an industrial zone and green areas, the situation in Sveta Nedelja is a little different. Mayor Dario Zurovec believes that a new Croatian bridge spanning the Sava is necessary, but also that the route passes too close to family homes.
“Given that this expressway goes directly past their houses, right under their windows… I’m not so sure. If it were perhaps a slower road and functioned like a local road, then I might have a different opinion. But since that isn’t the case, I think it should be positioned closer to the motorway and perhaps connect to the entrance rotor from the direction of Rakitje, more precisely, from the Podsused side,” stated Zurovec.
However, the route has now been defined and it is questionable whether changes are possible at this stage of the project at all. The total value of the project is estimated to stand at a whopping 100 million euros, most of which will likely come from EU funds.
