Croatia's most expensive road opened: A BiH company also participated in its construction

(Patria) - The D403 road, connecting the Zagreb Coast on the western part of the Port of Rijeka with the bypass at the Škurinje interchange, was opened to traffic today.

Only three kilometers long and worth around 60 million euros, this road has so far been considered the most expensive in Croatia.

This is a key traffic infrastructure that was included in spatial plans back in the late 1980s, when work began on revitalizing the Rijeka traffic route, but its realization had to wait for more than three decades.

In addition to truck traffic from the Zagreb Deep Sea container terminal, which is expected to be opened in 2025, the D403 road will also be useful for citizens, significantly shortening their travel time from Mlaka to the bypass, thereby further relieving city traffic during rush hour.

This road, built by a consortium of companies GP Krk, Kolektor CPG from Slovenia, and Euroasfalt from BiH, was extremely challenging to build, as it includes several structures such as a tunnel, a railway underpass, and viaducts, and is almost entirely underground or elevated.

We have opened the DC403 section from the Škurinje interchange to the Port of Rijeka. A strategic infrastructure project for the development of Rijeka has been realized, enabling direct road connection of the container terminal with the Croatian highway network. We are connecting all parts of 🇭🇷! pic.twitter.com/5F7oy6Vgr6

— Andrej Plenković (@AndrejPlenkovic) October 18, 2023

The most challenging part was the Podmurvice tunnel, 1,300 meters long, passing under residential areas, with an 850-meter-long evacuation tunnel built parallel to the main tube, along with several evacuation exits to the surface.

During construction, contractors encountered a number of problems, the most significant being a leftover unexploded bomb, which was successfully removed, and cables and pipes of utility infrastructure that appeared in unpredictable locations underground.

A "forgotten" tunnel from World War II was also found, part of an Italian fortification, which served as a shelter at the time.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković.

In his welcoming speech, Plenković thanked everyone who participated in the construction, as well as the citizens of Rijeka for their patience, especially those living near the road, and supported the idea proposed by the Mayor of Rijeka, Marko Filipović, to colloquially name the D403 the Mediterranean Road.