DOBRA, June 26 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic opened two new highway sections for traffic on Thursday, one on the Zagreb-Rijeka and the other on the Zagreb-Split highway, in the total length of 46 km and worth 2.2 billion
kuna (EUR293 million).
DOBRA, June 26 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic opened two
new highway sections for traffic on Thursday, one on the Zagreb-
Rijeka and the other on the Zagreb-Split highway, in the total
length of 46 km and worth 2.2 billion kuna (EUR293 million). #L#
On the highway connecting the capital and the northern Adriatic
port of Rijeka, Mesic opened a 10 km section from Vukova Gorica to
Bosiljevo which cost 320 million kuna.
On the highway from Zagreb to the seaport of Split in the south, the
President opened the 35 km Bosiljevo 2-Mala Kapela Tunnel section,
which cost 1.9 billion kuna.
Along with numerous government and local officials, the opening of
the sections was attended by Savka Dabcevic Kucar, who Mesic said
was the originator of the idea of connecting Croatia's south and
north, an idea which was being realised today.
The financing model in the context of Croatia's international
position is especially important because Croatia's
democratisation has enabled it to get favourable long-term loans,
without which the road-building project would not exist, Mesic
said. This fast model of constructing quality highways will enable
the activating of all Croatia's potentials, the president said,
hoping Europe would be able to discover Croatia's natural beauties
and potentials in tourism.
"We should use this opportunity to develop all other branches of the
economy, because the construction of highways makes that possible
for us," Mesic said.
Another 190km of highways will be constructed next year, and the
Rijeka-Zagreb highway completed, Mesic said. He added that work on
the Zagreb-Split highway should end in 2005 and in 2008 from Split
to Dubrovnik.
Croatian parliament president Zlatko Tomcic said the opening of
highways was the right way to restore hope and optimism and develop
the economy.
Prime Minister Ivica Racan said every premier would be satisfied
seeing a government project on which it had been working for three
years being realised successfully, well and within set deadlines.
This raises legal standards in the country because the highway is
being opened by regular means, with all licenses, which was not
usual in Croatia several years ago, Racan said.
Dabcevic Kucar thanked Mesic for inviting her to take part in the
opening ceremony for which, she said, she deserved no credit. She
believes the opening of the sections was due to all those who
carried this highway in their hearts 35 years ago, and whose first
attempts to realise the project were truncated.
(hina) lml sb