Tragedy narrowly avoided on the Srednje-Olovo road, the lifeline between Sarajevo and Tuzla must be urgently repaired!

(Patria) - Only by sheer luck was a tragedy that could have cost human lives avoided on Sunday evening after concrete blocks, placed as a barrier against frequent landslides, collapsed onto the M-18 Srednje-Olovo road in the Nišić area. Although remediation is underway by the company "Struktura", numerous citizens are outraged by tonight's incident.

Due to the landslide blocking the road, long queues formed in both directions. Members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who were on the scene ahead of the celebration of the Armed Forces Day on December 1, together with citizens, removed the concrete debris and made one lane passable for alternating traffic. However, no one guarantees traffic safety.

This main road is under the jurisdiction of the company Ceste FBiH, headed by HDZ's Ljubo Pravdić. A new competition for the director of Ceste FBiH is currently underway.

Incidentally, during 2023, works on the Semizovac-Olovo section, i.e., Čevljanovići-Nišić, were carried out by Strabag AG. The contract value was 5,517,712 KM, financed from credit funds of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the contractor missed the deadline for completing the works.

At the end of August this year, remediation of this subsection began, but numerous drivers traveling on the Sarajevo-Tuzla route testify that concrete blocks have been standing for months, improperly marked and visible, especially at night when visibility is already lower.
Although the three-lane project was supposed to relieve this part of the road, that did not happen. As soon as it was opened to traffic, problems with landslides began.

The company Struktura was supposed to complete the remediation works within 60 days, but the situation on the ground is more serious than thought. For days, the concrete blocks were leaning, and safety measures were not taken.

Although a tragedy was avoided tonight, due to the irresponsibility of the authorities, citizens are now traveling at their own risk.

There has been no reaction yet from Ceste FBiH or the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.