Project summary
The project involved the construction of the Svilaj bridge over the Sava River as part of the Pan-European Corridor Vc: Budapest–Beli Manastir–Osijek–Sarajevo–Ploče, which represents the backbone of the road network in Eastern Croatia.
The bridge also serves as the contact point between the motorway networks of the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The total length of the bridge is 660 m and the total width 29 m. It includes three 3.50 m-wide lanes in each direction, excluding an emergency lane with protective 0.5 m marginal strips on both sides, and a 0.75 m-wide concrete pathway. The joint construction of the bridge was carried out on the basis of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the construction of a cross-border bridge over the Sava River near Svilaj and the adjoining motorway sections along the Vc corridor. According to the agreement, the costs of bridge construction were borne equally by both Parties.
The project is a part of a more extensive project which aims to build the A5 motorway from the Sredanci junction in Croatia to Odžak in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Sredanci – Odžak section is 15 km long and is a part of the TEN-T Transport Network. The lack of a direct motorway connection between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina was a major bottleneck that restricted traffic flows between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The construction of this connection was necessary to ensure the smooth circulation of goods and passengers between the two countries.
The total width of the bridge is 13.50 + 2.0 + 13.5 = 29.0 m. Three driving lanes of 3.50 m each were constructed without emergency stopping lanes. Protective traffic belts of 0.5 m were installed on both sides of the road, making the width of the asphalt curtain 12.0 m. This was followed by a granite curb and a concrete monolithic pedestrian path with a total width of 0.75 m. The bridge infrastructure consists of a continuous beam over seven spans with double composite cross-sections made of a steel frame and concrete slab. The main span of the bridge, which is 91 m long and 7 m above sea level (89.21 m above sea level), allows for navigation.
Project results
The objective of building the bridge on the Sava River near Svilaj was to connect the Croatian Highway Network with the VC Corridor through Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The project has successfully:
- eliminated bottlenecks in road traffic on the Sava River
- reduced travel time for passenger and freight traffic
- reduced the cost of transporting goods between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- cut down vehicle operating costs and increased transport capacity;
- lowered the number of traffic accidents
- decreased the impact of emissions
- improved the level of service
