Millions needed for Počitelj bridge repair, and no one knows when the most complex structure on Corridor 5C will be open to traffic

(Patria) - More than a month has passed since the news broke that one of the tallest and most complex bridges in Počitelj had cracked.

Autoceste FBiH later confirmed that unforeseen circumstances occurred during construction and that repairs are underway. However, since then, there has been no information about what happened and how much the repair of the bridge, which cracked even though that section of the road has not yet been opened to traffic, will cost.

Patria's official inquiries to JP Autoceste FBiH have not been answered, and we have learned that the bridge repair will cost several million euros.

Unofficially, scans of the steel cables connecting the structure have been performed, and it was determined that the position of the cables deviates from the project by 30 to 60 centimeters, depending on their location in the bridge.

The contractors attempted to tighten the steel structure with presses, but then the concrete began to crack! And now, it is effectively unknown how the repair can be carried out.

It is already known that the bridge repair will take several months, but we could not confirm this information with Autoceste, as they did not respond to Patria's official inquiry.

This bridge is over 100 meters high and almost one kilometer long, making it one of the tallest in the region and one of the most complex structures within Corridor 5C.
It is a continuous prestressed reinforced concrete bridge with a box girder cross-section, built using the free cantilever construction method, which will connect the two banks of the Neretva River.

When the bridge connection was announced, it was stated that more dynamic work could be expected in the coming period, but unexpected situations have arisen that must be resolved first.

Although the construction was expected to be fully completed in the autumn of this year, it seems that this will remain a pipe dream.

The contractors for the bridge are Azvirt Limited Liability Company (Azerbaijan), Sinohydro Corporation Limited (China), and Powerchina Roadbridge Group Co. Ltd. (China), with HERING as a subcontractor.

The construction is financed by funds secured under the Loan Agreement concluded with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and grants from the European Union secured through the Connecting Europe Facility within the framework of the Investment Framework for the Western Balkans (WBIF). The total value of the works for the construction of the Počitelj bridge is EUR 28,114,889 excluding VAT.

The construction of the Počitelj bridge will span the M-17 main road, the Neretva River, and the Sarajevo-Ploče railway line.