The EU Commission is allocating €357 million of Cohesion Policy funds to build a bridge that will connect the southernmost part of the country and Dubrovnik to the rest of mainland Croatia.
The construction of the Peljesac bridge, for which the EU will contribute 85% of the cost, will significantly improve the everyday life of Croatians, through reducing the travel time between Dubrovnik and Split.
Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Gabrijela Žalac and EU Commissioner for Regional and Urban Policy Corina Cretu, who signed the Decision, followed by Prefect Nikola Dobroslavić and MEPs, attended the signing ceremony of the European Commission's decision to accept co-financing of a large infrastructure project "Road Connections with Southern Dalmatia".
This seamless connection will also greatly benefit tourism, trade and will reinforce the territorial cohesion of the South Dalmatia region with the other part of the country.
The Neum corridor, a strip of the Adriatic Sea coastline part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is currently the only land-based communication route between Dubrovnik and the rest of mainland Croatia. The new bridge will connect the Dubrovnik–Neretva County to the rest of the country, by crossing the Mali Ston Bay over the Adriatic Sea. This will facilitate a smooth flow of goods and people, especially at the peak of the tourist season.