CONSTRUCTION OF POSAVSKA MOTORWAY IS GOING ON

SLAVONSKI BROD, Aug 3 (Hina) - Following a short halt in the construction of a 26-kilometre-long section of the Posavska Motorway, works on the southern lanes of the Velika Kopanica- Zupanja section (eastern Croatia) have started recently. Uncertainties about the resumption of the construction were removed after the investor "Croatian Road Management" ensured 50 million kuna for this purpose. According to the director of consortium "Zelena Magistrala" which consists of seven building firms from eastern Croatia (Slavonia) and which has given a concession to build this section, these 50 million kuna will be enough for the works by September. We should get another 140 million kuna by October if we want to finish the southern lanes and see the traffic on them by the end of this year, the director Petar Simic added. To date, about 100 million kuna have been invested in the construction of this section which commenced at the end of 1999. The deadline for the building of the entire section is November 2001 and this job will cost 744 million kuna. The Posavska Motorway is the most profitable Croatian road and last year, tolls from this road ensured 220 million kuna, Simic said adding that in case these means were earmarked in its construction, this motorway would be built with no problem. The Posavska Motorway is a part of international direction E-70, which passes through Croatia from Bregana to Bajakovo. The Croatian section of E-70 is 305.5-kilometre long. So far, 241.7 kilometres have been built as the motorway. (One US dollar as approximately 8.2 kuna) (hina) ms