ZAGREB, April 23, 2018 - Executives of the Croatian road operator Hrvatske Ceste and the Chinese consortium China Road and Bridge Corporation signed on Monday a 2.08 billion kuna contract for the construction of Pelješac Bridge and access roads.

Before the formal signing ceremony in Dubrovnik, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that the project would help Croatia become territorially integrated. "The project is of long-term strategic importance for the whole country," Plenković said.

The bridge will be "a symbol of the added value of Croatia's EU membership," he said, adding that 357 million euro in EU grants has been secured for the project.

The EC adopted a decision on 7 June 2017 to grant 357 million euro from Cohesion Policy funds, that is 85% of the cost of building the bridge which would connect Dubrovnik-Neretva County with the rest of the country. Pelješac Bridge will be built by the Chinese consortium which offered 2.08 billion kuna, excluding VAT. The deadline for the completion of the project is 36 months.

The total value of the project is 526 million euro, including VAT, and the value of eligible costs is 420 million euro, of which 85% will be provided by the EU.

The bridge will be 2.4 kilometres long and 55 metres high and will have four lanes. It will connect the southernmost of Croatia with the rest of the country and facilitate an unimpeded flow of goods and people throughout the year and especially during the tourist season.