EUR 600 million set aside for highway between Ovcari and Mostar – Prenj Tunnel to be 12 kilometers long!

The public enterprise Autoceste FBiH has secured EUR 600 million for the construction of a highway from Ovcari, through Konjic, to Mostar, including the demanding project of the 12-km Prenj Tunnel.

This has been confirmed for Dnevni Avaz by Adnan Terzic, the director of Autoceste FbiH. The construction of this tunnel is the most expensive infrastructure project in B&H.

According to him, several days ago, the state company received a letter of support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) about the credit, and the Ministry of Transport and Communications has also approved the financing of this project.

– A letter of support from international creditors has arrived and we have already applied for WBIF grants. So, the money has already been secured and this is a very demanding project, including the construction of the Prenj Tunnel – Terzic says.

The total length of this section is 35.6 kilometers. Its construction will help shorten the route between Sarajevo and the coastline.

The first mechanical works are expected to start in mid-2020, whereas the deadline period for the Prelj Tunnel is six years. Ten bridges and several tunnels should be built along this section.

The exit from the Prenj Tunnel should be located in the northern part of Mostar, above the Podgoran neighborhood.

The proposal is for at least 40% of the contracted value of the project, namely, the design and the construction of the Prenj Tunnel and the Mostar north-Mostar south section, to be realized by local companies.

Adnan Terzić

Prenj Tunnel

WBIF