Construction of A5 motorway within European Corridor Vc continues

A HRK 443 million agreement for the construction of the A5 motorway subsection “Beli Manastir – Halasica Bridge” within the pan-European Vc transport corridor was signed on Tuesday in east Croatia.

Prime minister, Andrej Plenkovic, who attended the contract-signing ceremony at the Drava Bridge at Petrijevci, underlined that the strategic importance of the construction of the full-profile 17.5 -kilometre-long section of the motorway.

Plenkovic expressed his satisfaction because the financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR) had been secured for the project. The project is expected to be implemented over the next two years.

He thanked Osijek-Baranja County Prefect Ivan Anusic who had been persistent in highlighting the importance of the project for his county. Furthermore, the route will connect Croatia with Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina: “I think that investment will contribute to Slavonia’s economic growth. It fits in with this government’s intention through the Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem project to extend a hand of development to Slavonia and to take a step that will enable Slavonia to develop equally as fast as other area of Croatia.“. – Prime minister Plenkovic said.

The Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Oleg Butkovic assessed that it was good that works on the Vc corridor were advancing even during the crisis caused by the coronavirus: “That shows that this Government has not backed down off of the large infrastructure projects, including the continuation of construction works on Peljesac Bridge, the Istria Y motorway,  the Vc corridor but also large railway projects with a total value of HRK 20 billion. Today’s Agreement is the step toward Croatia’s aim of building its section of the Vc corridor, as soon as possible, which extended for 702 kilometres from the Hungarian capital of Budapest to the southern Croatian seaport of Ploce. The construction of the pan-European motorway through Croatia, will be completed by the end of 2023.“. – said Minister Butkovic who rejected the idea that the continuation of construction of the corridor was part of an election campaign,  saying that this Project had been prepared for some time and it was necessary to obtain all the relevant permits and financial construction.