Croatian company Viadukt, building bridge near Svilaj, on the verge of collapse, BiH authorities silent!

Croatian media are buzzing about the blocked bank accounts of construction company Viadukt, which is building the bridge near Svilaj on the Sava river together with Hering from Široki Brijeg, but this topic is not receiving enough attention in BiH, writes the Patria News Agency.

Hrvatske ceste (Croatian Roads) terminated the contract with Viadukt for the construction of the Čiovo bridge after approximately 57% of the structure was built.

Now, it is up to Hrvatske autoceste (HAC - Croatian Motorways) and the Ministry of Communications and Transport of BiH to ensure the continuation of the construction of the Svilaj bridge, which is not proceeding according to the planned dynamics.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications of BiH told Patria that "the Ministry has not been informed in any official capacity about the blocked accounts or the pre-bankruptcy proceedings initiated for the contractor Viadukt."

- Although still unofficial, these are certainly pieces of information that open new questions regarding the timely fulfillment of the contract for the construction of the bridge over the Sava river near Svilaj, but at this moment, there are no circumstances indicating that there will be serious delays or even a suspension of work at the construction site on the Croatian side. It is undeniable that the contractor Viadukt failed to complete the contract for the construction of the land-Čiovo bridge in the Republic of Croatia, but this certainly cannot be a reason for taking any measures by the investor of the Svilaj bridge construction, as long as the contractor is carrying out the work - stated the Ministry of Transport and Communications of BiH.

The Ministry is in intensive communication with the Croatian side on all issues related to the activities for the completion of the Svilaj bridge construction, including the status of the contractor Viadukt, and all decisions will certainly be made jointly.

- It is undeniable that both contracting parties have legal elements to protect the investor in the form of precise bank guarantees, but the investors' goal is the earliest possible completion of the bridge, and the activation of bank guarantees represents legal certainty that investors cannot suffer financial damage. Also, at the meeting with Minister Oleg Butković, other possibilities were considered in the event of a potential further slowdown or even a halt in works on the Croatian side, during which several possible solutions for such a development of events were discussed. It is evident that solutions exist, but they are currently part of assumptions for responding to possible situations, therefore the Ministry would not disclose these solutions to the public at this moment - they further stated for Patria from the Ministry of Transport and Communications of BiH.

Hrvatske autoceste told Patria that the contract with the contractor for the construction of the bridge over the Sava river near Svilaj has not been terminated.

- We also want to emphasize that Hrvatske autoceste is not the nominal investor, given the Agreement according to which each country finances 50% of the contracted value of the works. The joint investors, who are in the same and equal position on the mentioned project, are Hrvatske autoceste d.o.o. and the Ministry of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As responsible investors from the very beginning of the cooperation on the project, all decisions are made jointly, and we will maintain such an approach to the project implementation in all future phases of the project realization - emphasize HAC.

Although not publicly admitted, it is evident that the realization of this interstate project will be delayed, as it is difficult to imagine that Viadukt, with blocked bank accounts, will undertake any serious construction activities.