Počitelj Bridge Cracked: One of the Most Complex Structures on Corridor 5c Endangered

(Patria) - The Počitelj Bridge has cracked. Several cracks have appeared at one of the joints of the longest bridge on Corridor 5c, Istraga.ba has learned.

The information was also confirmed by the director of the Public Enterprise Autoceste FBiH, Denis Lasić.

- I haven't received an official report yet. We are waiting for the experts to do their job. I hope it will be possible to repair it, Lasić told Istraga.ba.

Istraga also contacted Ismet Hajduk, a doctor of civil engineering who was the reviewer of this project:

"Don't ask me anything. I can't tell you anything."

However, photos obtained by Istraga.ba show that scaffolding has been erected at the location where the cracks appeared, partially covering the extent of the damage to the bridge.
Photo: Istraga.ba

The cracks appeared on the lower slab between piers S3 and S4. The bridge cracked about fifteen days ago during cable tensioning. A cage has been placed at the site of the crack.

To recall, 30 days ago, on July 6, JP Autoceste announced that the Počitelj Bridge was connected with the final joining of the span structure in fields 6 and 7.

With a height of over 100 meters and a length of almost one kilometer, this bridge is one of the highest in the region, making it one of the most complex structures on the entire Corridor 5c.

According to the official statement from JP Autoceste, the Počitelj Bridge is designed as a continuous prestressed box girder bridge with a main span of 147 meters, a variable box cross-section, and a unified structure for both carriageways, with piers monolithically connected to the span structure, which is constructed using the free cantilever method.

The total amount of material incorporated into the bridge is 38,000 cubic meters of concrete, 9,000 tons of reinforcement, and 1,500 tons of prestressing cables, while in the coming period, 20,000 m2 of asphalt and waterproofing will also be installed.

The contractor for the bridge, located near the settlement of Počitelj, after which it is named, is a consortium consisting of: Azvirt Limited Liability Company (Azerbaijan), Sinohydro Corporation Limited (China), and Powerchina Roadbridge Group Co. Ltd. (China).

The construction of the Počitelj Bridge, which spans the M-17 main road, the Neretva River, and the Sarajevo-Ploče railway line, is financed by funds secured under the Loan Agreement concluded with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and grants from the European Union secured within the Connectivity Agenda through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), with the total value of the works for the construction of the Počitelj Bridge being EUR 28,114,889.53 excluding VAT.
Photo: Istraga.ba

Before the cracks appeared, it was planned for the bridge to be completed this autumn.

The contract for the construction of the Počitelj Bridge with the Chinese and Azerbaijanis was signed in 2019 by the former director of Autoceste, Adnan Terzić.

- On this section, we have the Počitelj Bridge, which is the most representative in terms of appearance, size, and construction itself on the entire corridor, excluding the Prenj tunnel, and I hope we will establish a dynamic with the contractors that will involve urgent commencement of work, and completion of works within deadlines and according to quality, Adnan Terzić said at the time.