The new Peljesac bridge under construction in southern Croatia is designed to link two physically separated regions of the country. As the first ever major EU infrastructure project involving a Chinese company, it is being built by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).
The small Croatian village of Komarna on the Adriatic coast is some six-hours drive from the capital Zagreb and one-hour drive from the historic town of Dubrovnik. Komarna is where the bridge will cross the sea to link Zagreb and Dubrovnik eventually.
After months of unusual spring drought, gale force winds brought heavy rain to this part of Croatia’s coastline, effectively stopping almost all usual activities in the region. It wasn’t too different in Komarna, the site of CRBC’s local headquarters. The massive project is crucial for the Balkan nation.
Regardless of the elements, work continues on the bridge’s construction site. Starting around eight months ago, the construction is about a full month ahead of schedule. Peljesac bridge is over 2.4 kilometers long with pylons 170 meters above the sea level. It will be a four-lane structure, with the longest span of around 570 meters.
Once completed, it will be a remarkable achievement for this part of Europe and China, as it is CRBC’s first ever project of such a scale in Europe.