After the break-up of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, the borders of its federal republics became those of new states. The region of Dubrovnik, "pearl of the Adriatic", was thus cut off from the rest of Croatia by the Bosnian exit to the sea.
For the 90,000 inhabitants of this area and for tourists, the opening of the "Peljesac Bridge" means the end of waiting hours at the border, especially in the summer season, to enter Bosnia, then to come out ten kilometers further far.
"We are finally becoming an integral part of Croatia", rejoices Mario Radibratovic, a shellfish farmer on the Peljesac peninsula, now linked to the coast by an elegant 2.4 kilometer long cable-stayed bridge, one of the largest infrastructure projects since gaining independence in 1991.
"It's a huge relief. We have felt like second-class citizens so far," the 57-year-old told AFP after returning from a boat trip to his oyster and fish farm. mussels, in the bay of Mali Ston, organized for around twenty tourists.
Because when he and his colleagues from the peninsula set out to transport their shells to the north of the country, they armed themselves with patience. Instead of waiting for hours at the border, it will now be enough to cross in a few minutes the bridge which connects the town of Brijesta, on the peninsula, to Komarna, opposite, and whose opening will be celebrated Tuesday evening in great pump.
For the inhabitants of the picturesque peninsula, also known for its wines, its pebble beaches and also popular with surfers who take advantage of a mistral which forms in the corridor between Peljesac and the island of Korcula, it is the end migraines caused by the mere thought of the Bosnian border or rare ferries.
"It was really exhausting, the wait at the border created a kind of bitterness in the people who live here," says Sabina Mikulic, owner of a hotel, luxury campsite and vineyard in Orebic , on Peljesac. "It really is a historic project for Croatia," she adds.
- EU-funded, Chinese-built -
The opening of the bridge has been a long time coming. For years, Croatia had intended to remedy this absurdity by building a bridge to span the arm of the sea facing the Bosnian town of Neum. Construction work had been started for the first time in 2007, to cease shortly after for lack of budget.
Four years after joining the European Union in 2013, the country obtained 357 million euros from the block to take over the project, or 85% of the estimated cost of 420 million euros with access roads. The work had been relaunched this time by a Chinese consortium, "China Road and Bridge Corporation", which delivered its work on schedule.
At one point, the project had angered some Bosnian leaders who feared that the bridge would hinder or even prevent the entry of large tonnage boats into the bay of Neum.
Zagreb had finally agreed to increase the height of the bridge to 55 meters, although this change increased the cost.
The bridge will be open in the middle of the tourist season, when Croatia, which in 2019 welcomed nearly 20 million tourists, hopes for a further rebound in visits and figures from the pre-pandemic period.
"The importance of the bridge is enormous, not only emotionally because of the connection of Croatian territory but also for tourism and for the economy in general," Croatian Transport Minister Oleg Butkovic said recently.
"We are a privileged generation who have completed this long-awaited project," he added.
For Smilja Matic, a retired piano teacher who regularly spends her holidays in Komarna, now with her beach at the foot of the bridge, the book will have a major positive impact for locals and tourists.
"It means a new life for the people on this side and for the people opposite, also for those who arrive by plane in Dubrovnik and who will now be able to come here by road without having to cross the borders", she says.
