Peljesac Bridge serves 5 mln vehicles in 2 years, says Croatian Roads

ZAGREB -- Five million vehicles have crossed the Chinese-built Peljesac Bridge in southern Croatia since its inauguration on July 26, 2022, the state-run road operator Croatian Roads announced on Friday.

The milestone of the five millionth vehicle was recorded on Thursday evening. During the peak tourism season of July and August, a daily average of 15,000 vehicles passed through the bridge, with the highest record occurring on July 29 last year, when a total of 20,151 vehicles passed through, the operator said.

Since the beginning of this year, travel on the bridge has increased by almost 12 percent, the Croatian Roads added.

"I think that the results of the construction of the Peljesac Bridge are great," said Oleg Butkovic, Croatian minister of the sea, transport and infrastructure, in a recent interview with Croatian National Television.

In a recent survey conducted by the Central Agency for Financing and Contracting of Programs and Projects of the European Union (EU), one of the bodies in charge of managing programs and projects financed by the EU budget in Croatia, Croatians identified three out of the 32 EU-funded projects, without which the country would be "unimaginable," with the Peljesac Bridge on top of the list.

According to Josip Skoric, general manager of Croatian Roads, the survey results prove that people from all over Croatia recognize the importance of the Peljesac Bridge. It has proved to be "an exceptional construction and infrastructure project that has brought people together, strengthened economic and cultural ties, and improved the daily life of many local residents."

A Chinese consortium, led by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), constructed the 2.4-km-long bridge that connects Croatia's mainland with the Peljesac Peninsula on the country's southern Adriatic coast. Since its inauguration, the bridge has significantly cut travel time to the Adriatic coast, promoted transport and increased economic opportunities for the region.